Hero
by CanisLupusHorribilis
Summary: ...she falls against my chest, one last soft whimper escapes her. I gather her up in my arms and I feel a pain in me that makes this bullet wound non-existent. Leon/Ada
1. Returning Home

**Hero**

A/N: I don't own Resident Evil or any of its characters. They belong to Capcom. I apologize about any tense mistakes, since this is the first time I've tried to write a story in first person. Correct me on them if you wish. Rated M for future gore and sexual content.

_"I'm just a woman who fell in love with you, nothing more…"_

_I jerk my head up at this statement and stare at her in shock. Her blood coated face peers back at me, almost as if she wants to know if I love her back. I try to say something but I'm terrible with my emotions, so instead I lower my head and touch my lips to hers. I feel her fingers gently wrap around my arm as I tighten my grip on her, never wanting to let go. I ignore everything, the mechanical voice that shouts at us about the self-destruct sequence, the blood that drips from both of us, the fact that she's in my arms and dying. And I don't know if she feels the way I do but I feel as if the world no longer exists. Five blissful seconds of escaping this hell and she's not dying. When we finally pull away, her eyes fill with tears and I realize my mistake. We're still in this hell and she's still dying._

_She closes her eyes and as quickly as we kissed, she falls against my chest, one last soft whimper escapes her. I gather her up in my arms and I feel a pain in me that makes this bullet wound non-existent. Why? Why did she have to die?! _

_I look out over the catwalk, tears in my eyes and I shout her name…_

--

…and I feel someone shake my shoulder. I open my eyes, instantly regretting that idea as sunlight blares down at me from the sky above. I groan and rub my eyes with my knuckles, watching little stars flash against my eyelids, before I finally look at the person who had woken me.

"Sorry," Ashley Graham says softly. "You looked like you were having a nightmare so I thought I should wake you up."

Her words make me realize where I am. No longer was I in the sweltering labs underneath Raccoon City's sewers. No, I'm in a large helicopter flying over the Atlantic Ocean towards America. Ashley and I are returning home.

"Uh… Thanks," I respond, though my throat is raw from last night's events so my voice is hoarse.

My words convince Ashley and she turns her attention to the sparkling ocean below us. I again rub my eyes, as though this will remove my dream. Of course, I should've expected this before going to sleep. Since last night was the first time I've seen her in six years I would have dreams about her. And here I was hoping that I'd gotten over them.

I join Ashley in staring at the ocean, hoping that the beauty would take away any thoughts of the woman in red. Even if the ripples in the water remind me of her crimson dress flowing over a pole after she saved my life from an old friend. And the shadow from the 'chopper almost matches the hue of her raven black hair. And the slight grey-green tint to the waves seems to reflect her stunning eyes…

I quickly wrench my head away from the site. Well, that was a bad idea…

--

"We're home!" Ashley cries as we step out of the helicopter.

Flying from Spain to America in a Blackhawk was not the greatest ride in the world. The two of us now suffer from numb limps and tired minds, as if the Illuminados hadn't done this to us already.

Two government agents step up to me and one sticks his hand out. I shake it as he speaks, "Agent Kennedy. Thank God. After losing communications with you in Madrid, we feared the worst had happened again. Unfortunately, even though I'm sure you two would love to just go home, we have to send you to a doctor. Agent Hunnigan told us about the Illuminados and their parasite."

"Wait," I mumble, noticing that he didn't introduce himself. "How did she know about the parasite? I never told her about it…"

"… Well, that's something we need to talk about later. First let's get you two to a hospital," he says.  
--

"I hate hospitals," Ashley whispers to me. I nod in agreement but I don't say anything. What could I say?

"Miss Graham, follow me please," an elderly nurse says as she approaches Ashley. She glances at me and frowns, distrust burning in her eyes. I try to shrink back against the wall but she snaps, "You have to wait for your nurse here."

I stare at her in shock, stating, "I know. I didn't expect to go with her."

"Don't take that tone with me!" the nurse warns. I do nothing but stare at her in absolute confusion. What tone did I take?

The nurse shoots one last look at me before she leads Ashley down the hall, leaving me in the waiting room.

"What was that all about?" a familiar voice asks.

I look over to see Ingrid Hunnigan, my mission contact, walking up to me. She has her glasses on again. I smile weakly at her but when she smiles back I imagine red lips forming a mysterious smirk on a pale face framed by raven colored hair. I look away quickly.

"You okay, Leon?" Hunnigan asks and I just nod in response though I still don't look at her. "I thought you were going to get a check-up."

"My nurse hasn't come to get me yet…" I mumble back. I see her frown at me from my peripheral.

"Well, I'm going to go check on Ashley. I'll see you soon, okay?"

I nod and she walks down the hall. She looks back at me but I don't look up, I just see her again from my peripheral.

"Mr. Kennedy?" a nurse asks me.

I glance at her, almost instantly worried that I'd see tiny Ramon Salazar in her place. However, I just see a pretty little blonde looking at me. I nod and she tells me to follow her. She leads me down a long hallway.

Eventually we reach a room and she tells me to go in. I hesitate, realizing how badly I hate hospitals, ever since my mother got lung cancer and I was forced to enter them and see her fading away. I manage to muster up some courage and slip into the room.

"Leon Kennedy?" a man a little younger than me asks. I look at him in a way that hopefully asks, "Who else would I be?"

"How about we keep this short and sweet. From this chart of yours it seems you're in tip-top health and all that. Though I suppose that's necessary when you're part of the government, huh?" he offered, smiling falsely. I nod, though I note that unlike typical doctors he doesn't introduce himself. I unconsciously go on alert at this, especially after the agent's failure to introduce himself as well. I realize, though, that I'm probably just being paranoid since I'd just dealt with some pretty weird shit.

"So, tell me, why would they need-"

He's cut off when the door opens and a woman walks in, her face covered by a mask and her hair in a hair net. She looks to be a surgeon. The doctor walks over to her, listens to her for a second, and nods. He looks back at me.

"I'm afraid this is going to have to wait. It looks like a patient of mine is acting out and is calling for me. I'll be right back."

I watch him leave and I note that the surgeon didn't follow; rather she'd removed her hair net and mask. I also note that this "surgeon" has short raven black hair, ruby red lips, and grey-green eyes.


	2. The Red Rogue

Hero

Hero

Ada Wong smiles at me in a way that would make an average man twitch. She purrs in that sultry voice of hers, "Hey there, handsome."

I know I prompted that smile since my jaw dropped as soon as I realized who my friendly "surgeon" was. And with the way her pale eyes sparkled I also know that she was enjoying my shock over seeing her so soon after Spain. Last time it took six years for me to see her again and now I'm seeing her a few hours later?

Dressed in loose pale green scrubs Ada is still as drop dead gorgeous as she was in her crimson dresses. How was it possible that Ada made scrubs sexier?

"You just going to stand there and stare? Or are you going to close your mouth and come over here?" she chuckles, stepping towards me.

"What's going on? Why are you here in New York?" I ask quickly, trying to over come my shock at seeing her here.

"I'll explain once we're out of this hospital, okay? Come on, we really have to get out of here," she states, returning to her position at the door. She peeks out at the hall through the small square window in the door.

I shake my head swiftly, responding, "I have to get Ashley and my contact, too. She's still my responsibility and I can't just leave Hunnigan here."

She doesn't even look at me when she whispers, "Fine. We just have to get out of here, fast!"

The urgency in her voice startles me. The typically calm and stoic Ada was replaced by a woman who had started to emerge in the sewers underneath the RPD. I tell myself to be on guard but with this sudden change from flirty to weary I feel as if she's not going to point her gun at my head like she did in Spain. Then again, this is the naïve part of me acting up.

She removes her top, revealing a blood red tank-top below with a harness wrapped tight around her shoulders and chest. She slips two Glock pistols from the harness and tosses one to me. I catch it and check the clip on instinct.

"I saw them with your weapons when I was heading over here. Thought you could use that. If any of the guards at we'll have to act like to bodyguards for Ashley. Okay?" I nod at her and she continues. "We'll get the other two and get out of here. Come on."

She slips from the room and lets me take the lead to find Ashley and Hunnigan. We hide our pistols against our bodies, though to me it feels pointless. The guns are practically ebony and though mine blends well with the navy blue cargo pants I'm wearing, Ada's green scrub bottoms make the weapon stand out like a sore thumb. The hospital was also suddenly empty, compared to the busier hospital earlier. As if things weren't odd enough…

When we came to the hall Nurse Bitchy had led Ashley down earlier I notice a set of hospital security guards watching us, but they make no move to stop us. I look at Ada and she just smiles at me, letting me once again lead her towards the others.

A cry of distress echoes out of the room on my direct left, startling me. Ada lifts her head and I nod at her. She nods back and points her gun at the door. I reach out for the doorknob when the door slams open into the door, a form collapsing through the doorway. It was a doctor and he wasn't bleeding but he did have a red splotch on his forehead that shows he'd been hit with something. Hunnigan stumbles out of the door, pointing her Berretta at Ada and me. She relaxes when she recognizes me and lowers the weapon.

Ashley hops out over the unconscious doctor. She gives Ada a dirty look that reads of recognition when she starts speaking. "He attacked us. At first I was afraid that he was infected by those things but then I realized that even in the dim light his eyes didn't change color… What's going on Leon? And why is _she _here?"

Ada steps forward before I can speak, stating icily, "As I told Leon, I'll explain everything once we're out of here. Come on. Leon's doctor is probably returning by now and he'll send out security when he realizes Leon's gone."

We quickly walk towards the front exit and I notice Ada look at the area where the two guards had been standing earlier. I shake it off since too much weird shit had been going on for me to truly care. Hopefully they just got bored and walked off.

Once we're free of the hospital, Ada takes lead and walks to a silver and black Mustang. Gorgeous woman has a gorgeous car. Wow, did I really just think that?

Ada, who has returned to her stoic and calm self, unlocks the car and climbs into the driver's side. I follow and climb into the passenger's seat while Hunnigan and Ashley get in the back. Ada starts up the car and with a gentle growl from the engine she pulls out of the parking space and is on the street in a few seconds.

"OK," I start while Ada heads to an unknown destination, "I expect some explanations now."

She smiles and keeps her eyes on the road while she states, "Wesker told me to go to the hospital we were just at to get a check-up after how harsh Spain was. To keep him from asking me too many questions, I did so. I need to keep some things to myself after all. When I got there, the first thing my doctor did was try to give me sedatives. He tried to force me to take them but I don't like it when men play rough. So, I grabbed a nearby syringe and shot it into his neck. I don't know what it was but he went down so I left. I found these scrubs and dressed up like a surgeon to make my appearance less obvious. Then I heard some nurses speaking of you, Leon, and I decided to go find you. I honestly don't know why Wesker sent me there or why you two were taken there."

"Weren't you wearing a dress in Spain?" Ashley asks.

"… That was five hours ago. You don't think I could've changed between then and now?"

"So, I wasn't being paranoid. Everyone was acting odd…" I mumble as I stare out over the cars next to us.

Ada gives me a confused look and I explain how most of the people but her, Ashley, and Hunnigan had been acting odd.

"And you're sure you don't know what's going on? You weren't exactly a friend in Spain," Ashley remarks.

I just shake my head at the last statement, remembering all the times Ada had saved us both. Then I remember something that bothered me earlier.

"Hunnigan, the agent that picked the two of us up said that you know about the parasite. How?"

"You need to ask your friend about that," Hunnigan responds to my question.

I return Ada's confused look and she states, "I told her about it. I knew she was your contact and thought she could use the information." She smiles slyly, speaking as she pulls something from her harness with one hand, blocking it from my sight. "And I was wrong. This is why Wesker wants me dead." She shows me the object and for the second time today, caused by the same person, my jaw drops. In her hand is the Master Plagas vile.

"You didn't give it to Wesker…" I state dumbly.

"I told you I'd take good care of it. Giving it to him is not a good way to take care of it," she says.

"Yeah but-"

"We're here," she interrupts, placing the vile back into her harness. She pulls the Mustang into a parking spot and exits the car. As the three of us exit and Ada locks the car, I notice the gray building in front of us.

When we enter the building Ada offers a friendly wave to a couple of people and leads us to the elevator. Once inside I take in our new surroundings. The elevator, like the rest of the inside of the building, is a dull tan and the elevator music is a dull jazz like tune. I see why Ada lives here. It's a good place to hide, since it's not a very obvious place for a woman like Ada to want to live.

Ada presses the 5 and stands back, next to me. I let myself relax as the elevator moves slowly upward and I can't help but notice that her standing next to me makes me feel better?

A/N: Thanks for the reviews everyone! The next chapter will be up on Sunday.


	3. Apartment

Hero

The elevator comes to a grinding halt, jerking once more before remaining still. Ada steps off the elevator when the doors open, leading us down another dully colored hallway. I notice that the other doors are all covered in tape and long slabs of wood. Did something happen up here?

"I'm not the only one who uses this place to hide," Ada says from in front of me, looking at me. "They think that nobody else notices that they deal with illegal things, but since I deal with these things, I notice them easily."

I feel a hand rest on my shoulder and I turn to Hunnigan, who gives me a concerned look and glances at Ada. I can see her distrust and I know that she has every reason in the world not to trust Ada, but right now I also know that Ada is a lifeline for us, after what happened in the hospital. I shrug at her in hopes that she'll not bother Ada but I know it's futile. Hunnigan steps forward.

"What do you deal with?" Hunnigan asks, apparently unhappy that she couldn't get any answers from me.

"What's wrong, Leon? Can't tell her who I worked with?" Ada laughs in response. Hunnigan looks at me expectently but I offer her a fake shrug and confused look.

Our walk finally comes to an end and Ada pulls out a key. She quickly unlocks the door with a loud click from the door itself and lets us walk in before following suit. I notice she quickly locks the door after she enters the room.

I look around her apartment as Hunnigan asks for something to drink. Ada leads her to the kitchen and I continue my examination. The living room looks like most others with fancy artwork covering the walls and decorative knick-knacks settled on tables. But I also notice the hidden weapons. Ada, like me, has placed weapons carefully around the living room. They're mostly in obvious places that nobody notices. The biggest of these weapons is right next to Ada, leaning against a wall behind some plates. It's a high powered rifle, coal black and glossy. She catches my eye and smirks at me.

"Can I call my dad?" Ashley asks from the couch where she'd sat down earlier.

Ada sadly shakes her head, showing some of her compassion as she says, "Unfortunately we can't take the chance of somebody following the call signal from your father to us. Once we get somewhere more secure, I'll get you a phone. But until then, he'll have to stay in the dark."

Ashley frowned but nodded her okay at Ada, until Hunnigan snaps, "That's ridiculous. The President will hear his daughter is missing, _again_, and he'll send as many people out to find her as possible. Not to mention the fact that Leon and I are missing and will be turned into suspects of kidnapping her!"

"Would you rather these people come and kill us all?" was Ada's response, her voice as cool as always.

Hunnigan frowns, taking a seat next to Ashley on the couch. I remain standing when Ada looks outside, a thoughtful look crossing over her face.

"What're you thinking?" I ask.

"Do you have anybody who would be able to help us?" she asks quietly.

"Yeah, they're called the government," Hunnigan grumbles.

Ada shakes her head and I mumble, "No. I've kinda become a recluse since Raccoon and nobody I do know would be able to help…"

"Do we have to have help? We did fine this time, didn't we?" Ashley questions from her spot on the couch.

"We could go without help, I guess," Ada agrees, glancing out the window.

I stare at the door frame with no interest in particular other than to find something to stare at. I did know somebody who could help but I hadn't spoken to them since Raccoon City.

Ada looks at me suddenly, almost in a way that makes me fear she can read my mind, and asks, "What about those people you helped for a little while? The ones Wesker hates."

She's a mind reader now, too? "Nope. I haven't spoken to them since Raccoon City. Do you honestly think they'd take me back with open arms?"

"No. They probably won't. Especially once they see Ashley and think what the nation will be soon, that we kidnapped her. But we have to try something, don't we?"

I stare at her and she stares back, her pale eyes full of unknown emotions. Damn it… I'm such a pushover.

"Fine, but I need a computer to find their location. If they're still a team, anyway…"

She motions for me to follow and leads me over to the table in the kitchen. She knocks some paper away that all fall to the floor and uncovers a laptop. She starts it and I sit down in front of it.

"How are you going to find them?" she whispers at me. "They've stayed hidden from Wesker for six years. How will you find them?"

As I type I smirk at Ada, responding, "I know where they like to hide. One good thing about joining the Anti-Umbrella group is you learn where the S.T.A.R.S. members of the team like to hide."

I frown almost instantly, realizing I was condemning myself to countless questions from people I'd barely known. But because of Claire Redfield they'd believed that I would, like them, permanently remain part of the Anti-Umbrella organization.

I snap back to reality when I find a group of Special Forces in California. Ada quickly reads off some of their names. With a laugh, Ada says, "How is it that they didn't change their names yet Wesker couldn't find them?"

I smile in response and after Ada hands me a piece of paper and a pen I write down the address. Time to go talk to the S.T.A.R.S.

A/N: Sorry for this chapter's lack of action and shortness. Again thanks for the reviews everybody. Next update tomorrow.


	4. Airplane

Hero

"We can take an airplane but I can't call my dad?" Ashley groans for what seems to be the seventh time since we boarded the plane. She and Hunnigan sat to my right and Ada to my left, putting me between an annoying kid and a deadly spy. Great combination there…

Ada looks at her in a way that absolutely frightens me. Then again, she's been acting weird since we boarded the plane.

After leaving Ada's apartment, without any guns, we'd headed out to get clothing of any sort. I don't think Ada or Hunnigan liked the fact that Ashley and I were covered in blood and other things I'd rather not think about.

Anyway, now Ashley and I were dressed as normal civilians, if a normal civilian was covered in scars from old battles… Now Ashley was dressed in blue jeans and a pink shirt that was so bright it made my eyes hurt and I was in black jeans and a blue t-shirt.

The plane starting up returns me to the present and I glance over at Ada, who looks petrified. If she afraid of flying?

"You tell anyone and I'll break your arm," she suddenly warns. She looks at me and raises her eyebrows. I shrug in response.

"Who would I tell? Perhaps we'll go back and dig Saddler out of the island rubble. Then I'll tell him," I offer. She rolls her eyes at me and turns her attention out the window. "So… You are then?"

"Yes… I don't like the idea of being this far off the ground in a hunk of metal that when one thing goes wrong the entire thing plummets to the earth at neck breaking speeds and leaves no survivors in the crash."

I stare at her, suddenly not so comfortable being in this hunk of metal flying over the earth. I grumble, "You just make everything fun don't you?"

"That's my job," she responds with a smile.

"So, who are these people that we're going to see?" Ashley asks from my right, stopping me from returning her comment with some type of comeback. "You know them right? Like, as friends or something?"

"Not really," I admit, thinking about the last time I'd spoken to the S.T.A.R.S. "We didn't exactly agree on my career choice."

"Why not? I've read about them since we left Ada's. Wouldn't they like having the government back them?" Hunnigan asks.

I shake my head silently, wondering how badly they would scold me this time. The older members had always babied me when I'd first joined them. Even after I'd proved that I was competent. In fact, the only one who hadn't treated me like a child had been Barry. The big man hadn't really spoken to anyone but I'd soon solved what had happened between him and his teammates. Poor guy.

"Leon?" Ada asks, startling me.

"Huh?'

"I asked are you sure they'll trust you? I read about what happened… It made Wesker almost giddy back then when he'd found out that you and Oliveira were leaving the team. Two less to worry about."

"Carlos left? Weird. Anyway, I can't really say… I know Chris will be happy. See, he is one who wanted the government on their sides. But he didn't want it to be me… Okay, never mind. I don't know if any of them will trust me."

Ada sighs, shaking her head. I know Hunnigan and Ashley are giving me confused looks at the moment but I don't feel like speaking. Instead I lay my head back and try to fall asleep.

--

_"Hey_, _take it easy. We're inside Umbrella's secret lab. I'll go find something to treat that wound, so just rest here in the meantime," I calmly tell Ada, even though my heart feels like it's going to pop. She'd scared me there for a little while, since it had looked like she'd stopped breathing._

_"But...I'll only slow you down with these injuries. Go. Save yourself," is her weak response. She's straining to speak and that hurts me for some reason._

_"Is it just me, or does everybody always ignores what I say? I told you, it's my job to look after you," I reply, adding an edge I didn't really mean to use. I was afraid for her… And I wasn't about to let her die…_

_"But...you'll be in danger if you stay with me. I know I've only known you for a short period of time, but I really enjoy being with you."_

_This startles me and I look at her in shock. She's turned her head away from me as if her confession can't be faced.  
" I..." I try to say something but I can't seem to form a sentence.  
" I know I'm not capable of caring about anyone, but I don't want to lose you," she whispers, her voice trailing off. _

_I reach up to my neck and grip the chain and pendent that has remained on my neck for years, a gift from my grandparents. It's a complex pendent since one side forms an eagle, feather's spread wide, in the symbol of leadership and bravery. The other side forms a butterfly, the symbol of rebirth and a person's soul._

_I snap the necklace off of my neck and place it in Ada's hand, stating, "We're leaving this place together. Wait here for me, I'll be right back."_

_Before she can respond I turn and leave._

--

I manage to wake myself, shaking my head as the dream became foggy. The dream, now from the turntable reminds me of the woman on my left… Why are there weights on my shoulders?

I look down and realize that Ada and Ashley had fallen asleep and they'd both fallen asleep on my shoulders. I hear pages turn and I glance over at Hunnigan, who has managed find a book. I vaguely remember complaining about not having one earlier, when we'd first sat down.

I again lean back, closing my eyes in another attempt to sleep. But Ashley shifts and I realize that there's not going to be any sleep for me, not on this plane ride.

--

"I'm so stiff!" groans Ashley as we exit the plane.

She stretches and yawns, nearly knocking Hunnigan down who shoots the younger woman a deadly look. Ada laughs at my side.

"So you have the addresses, right?" I ask her, trying not to show the fact that my shoulders are killing me. Two adults lying on my shoulders had turned them numb and now they're repaying their suffering by aching.

"Yes. We'll be able to find them quickly, if we can get out of here quickly. Did Hunnigan get the rental?"

"I think so. I'll ask her once we're outta here. I think she's going to kill Ashley."

"Better go stop them," Ada says, smiling at me.

I smirk and leave her side to go stop Ashley and Hunnigan from killing one another. As soon as we're off the plane and heading towards the airport, Hunnigan asks, "How in God's name do you put up with her?"

"Who says I do? I kinda ignore her."

She raises an eyebrow, smirks, and claps a hand on my shoulder. I jump slightly, shooting her a look that I hope conveys the fact that that hurt. She laughs and walks away to find Ashley.

"How sweet," Ada laughs from behind me. I look at her and she just smiles. She soon joins Ashley and Hunnigan, leaving me alone for the first time since the hospital. I start towards them as well.

What did I do to deserve being stuck between three women and their extremely different attitudes?

A/N: Go check the bottom of my profile to find out info on this story, like when I'm going to update and stuff like that.


	5. Mini Van

Hero

"A mini van?" Ada asks, stepping towards the grey vehicle. Hunnigan looks, for a second, excited at Ada's disgust in the vehicle of choice, but it soon fades when Ashley cries out in glee. Our backpacks in hand are soon thrown into the back of the van.

"I'm driving!" she cries, heading for the driver's side. Oh joy… Not only is it the dead of night in a city I barely know but now we get the overenthusiastic kid driving us to people who very well could hate me.

Hunnigan jumps into the passenger's side and leaves Ada behind Hunnigan and me behind Ashley. I instantly remember how badly I'd always hated mini vans. Mainly for their too squishy feel. Then again, this is coming from a guy who was raised driving trucks, Jeeps, and sports cars.

As Ashley drives out of the rental car parking lot, Hunnigan reads off a list of the addresses that the S.T.A.R.S. had taken to. Ada listens intently, apparently wanting to find them as fast as possible. Hunnigan pulls out a map and starts hunting for the addresses, finally reading off where Ashley needs to go.

"What if they won't even speak to you?" Ashley asks, turning onto a new street. I flinch at the thought, since we couldn't take on whoever was attacking us alone.

"We'll have to hope they do. Otherwise, we're stuck fighting God knows who alone. And four people, one of which is an untrained civilian, versus that many people is a very stupid idea…"Hunnigan states, looking at the addresses.

Ada roles her eyes, apparently not agreeing with Hunnigan. She looks out when her eyes widen slightly, shock clearly etched across her face.

"What is it?" I ask calmly, not wanting to spook Ashley. We don't need an accident at the moment.

"We're being followed. Black van in the lane next to ours and three cars back. It's been there since we left the rental place," she responds, looking at me.

Of course. The one time we don't have any guns we're being trailed by a black van. You'd think they'd stop using black. Everybody notices when a black car is following since it's so typical to see.

"What can we do?" Hunnigan asks.

"Ashley, just keep calm. Don't act like you know that we're being followed. These people aren't out to attack us. They would've done so already if they were," Ada orders. "We need to get rid of them. Drive around in circles if you must but they're more than likely following us to find the S.T.A.R.S."

Ashley nods and takes the next right, entering a smaller and much less busy road. Her face is paling considerably and I feel some pity for the poor girl. We'd survived Spain only to enter this, and this time we don't have the whole brainwashed/controlled by parasitic organism to help us.

"How are we going to get rid of them? LA's big but these people more than likely know the area and we don't. If we in any way get lost they can just pick us off," Hunnigan hisses from the front.

"Then don't get lost," Ada states bluntly, staring icily at Hunnigan. "Take Ashley the long way to the addresses if you must, but don't get lost."

Hunnigan groans and looks back down at her map. I notice that her face is much paler then it was on the plane and that concerns me. How many times has she seen battle? Of any sort?

Ada looks back and notices the car still there but she mumbles quickly that it's closer than before.

"We have to do something about them…" I mumble, again wishing I had my guns. Or even my knife…

"How? We don't have any weap-"

She stops suddenly and grabs her backpack, pulling something out. They look oddly familiar and I finally notice that they're her sunglasses from Spain, the ones that had the flash-bang effect.

She smiles at me when she notices that I'm shocked and teases, "I wouldn't only have one pair of these things. They're rather stylish and helpful in tight situations. Though I'll admit, I was surprised at the fact that they weren't questioned at the airport."

She zips up her backpack and replaces it with the others. As she's replacing it, her raven hair quickly covers her face and practically makes her vanish, since she's wearing all black. When she looks back at me, she gives me a look that says she'll need my help. I unbuckle me seat-belt and turn to her, raising an eyebrow in question.

"I'm only going to use this if I have to. But I'll need your help."

I nod in agreement, asking, "How so?"

She's about to respond when an explosion rocks the van. Great… Ashley cries out, trying to control the vehicle as it tries to spin out of control. I see Ada lung for our backpacks out of the corner of my eye and I realize that the entire back had been blown off of the van.

I grab Hunnigan and Ashley's backpacks, tossing them in front of myself as Ada does the same for mine and hers. She looks at me with a shocked expression and I look back. What had taken- Oh shit!

"Duck your heads!" I cry as _fwoomp_ echoes across the street. Ada ducks her head and I barely see Ashley and Hunnigan do the same when the world turns fiery. The assholes are carrying a grenade launcher! Honestly, who does that in a city?!

I feel cool hands on my left arm, tugging at me to get up. Ada looks at me with a concerned expression and I wave her off. I just can't hear is all.

I look up to see the roof of the vehicle peeling backwards, having been hit by the full force of the grenade launcher. Ada and I are very lucky to have not been hit by the shrapnel that was definitely sent flying by the grenade.

"Ashley, make a U-turn!" I hear Hunnigan order, though my ears are still ringing.

Ada looks back at the car, as Ashley does as she's told. I somehow manage to grab Ada and pull her back to me, before a new grenade smashes into her side. Everyone cries out in shock, ducking their heads as the sliding door and seat turned into a single chunk of ruin.

Ashley's seat has managed to save her from the explosion, chucks of metal imbedded in the back of it. She gives me a shocked look and speeds up.

Ada hasn't moved, though she really can't now that her side has been reduced to rubble, along with our backpacks.

"I really hope the cops are coming!" Hunnigan cries.

Ada shakes her head, yelling over the crackling fire, "That wouldn't be good for them or us! We're wanted for Ashley's kidnapping!"

"You could've said this earlier!" Ashley shouts.

"I could've but I didn't! Get over it!"

I look away from the argument and notice that the car is no longer following us. Did they just give up? Or…

Sirens start up in the distance and Hunnigan snarls out some swears. Ada quickly orders Ashley to stop. She explains that we'll have to continue on foot. I'm not even really paying attention until we get outside of the car. My arm hurts…

As we stand around the burning vehicle, Ashley and Hunnigan collecting their packs, Ada looks at me in concern.

"Leon! Your arm!"

I look down and see a bloody mess. So much for not getting hit by any shrapnel… Shit…

The world starts swirling as I realize not just my arm had been hit by the shrapnel. I collapse to the earth, the last thing I see being Ada running to me.

--

_The sewer water swirls around my legs as I walk towards her, my shoulder throbbing with every step. My hand rests on the bullet hole, trying to staunch the flow of blood, though it's not really working. I finally manage to make it to the platform Ada's standing on and I lift myself up to join her. That doesn't last long as I soon collapse to the concrete, blood oozing over my hand._

_"Leon…" Ada says softly above me._

_"This wound isn't making things any easier," I admit, trying to stand._

_A cool hand presses gently on my undamaged shoulder, keeping me down. Ada kneels before me. "Quiet, Leon. I'll patch you up."_

_She tugs my uniform away from the bullet hole and I clench my teeth in pain. She gives me an apologetic look and pulls out what looks like a small role of gauze from the pack I'd offered her earlier to carry her gun. She gently wraps the white material around my chest and wounded shoulder, her hands cool against my already fevered skin._

_Once she'd finished, she stands, helping me stand as well._

_"That's two I owe you," she says gently, looking up at me._

_"Don't mention it," I respond, feeling blood already soak through my new bandages._

_We stand silently, looking everywhere but one another, when I see a new emotion cross her face._

_"I just found out… John's dead."_

_"What?" I ask, startled by this sudden statement. I soon feel ashamed at the thoughts that crossed my head, since John's death meant she was single… Now's not the time, Kennedy. Once you're both out of Raccoon maybe, but not now…_

_"Never mind… Let's just get out of here. The sooner the better."_

_She starts for the ladder and I'm once again shocked. This woman truly confuses me…_


	6. STARS

Hero

"He's waking up!" a loud voice says, tearing my dream away from me. I feel an icy metal table against my back and I realize I'm not wearing a shirt.

I shift and open my eyes only to see a bright light beaming down. Why does this keep happening to me? I knock away the penlight. I know it had been shined down to check my eyes for signs of a concussion. But my head feels fine and I know the signs of a concussion. And I can sure as hell remember what happened.

"Take it easy," Hunnigan orders, placing a hand on my uninjured shoulder. Because of my dream I can feel the ghost bullet hole residing where Hunnigan's palm now lay. "You got hurt pretty bad…"

"I noticed…" I groan, managing to sit up. My right arm and torso are covered in bandages, making me look half-mummified, almost as if somebody got lazy and said screw this guy.

"How are you feeling?" a softer and unfamiliar voice asks from my right. I look over to see somebody I feel as though I should recognize but I can't. Her dark brown hair is cut boyishly short and that combined with her young face strikes me as familiar. But I just can't place a name.

"Uh… How should I feel? I feel the same as always," I remark bluntly. I guess that's what I get for being hurt on damn near every mission I go on.

"Well, you seem coordinated. You managed to hit the penlight, even though you couldn't see. So that's a very good sign. And-"

"He's fine," Ada suddenly says, stepping forward with a glass of water in hand. She'd taken off the jacket she'd had on earlier and looks pissed for some unknown reason.

"Wow, they let you out of their sight?" the unknown girl asks in shock, stepping away from Ada.

"No. I tied them up and left them in the back room."

The girl's eyes widen in shock before she turns and practically runs to the room Ada had spoken of. Ada turns quickly to me.

"You were right," she says, offering me the glass. I take it, staring at her in confusion. She continues, "When you passed out, Hunnigan and I managed to carry you a little. You're too heavy by the way, lose some weight. Anyway, it seems the S.T.A.R.S. have the same problem that we did; only they deal with it every night. Ashley managed to wave them down and together we got you here.

However, it seems that they've become more than a little paranoid. The girl, Redfield, recognized me somehow and told her brother I was going to betray you all. They put me in the back room while these two stayed in here. Ashley tried to convince them, but they wouldn't listen. They finally worked out who you were and the Redfield girl said that as soon as possible you three were to be kicked out of this house."

I stare at her, water forgotten. How could they do that? Not to me. I know why they hate me. But they don't even know Ada. And she'd never done anything to them…

"What about you?" I finally manage to ask. "They were going to kick us onto the street, not you."

"They were probably going to offer me over to Wesker. Maybe they think I'm like his dog or something… Which that something is _something _I don't like to even consider."

I shake my head in disbelief, when somebody falls into the room. Literally.

"You gotta get out of here," pants the familiar voice of Barry Burton. "You managed to really piss them off back there. Take my truck if you have to, but get out of here."

I look between Barry and Ada, the latter who's watching the doorway behind him. The look in her eyes is the same she used to get when we were fighting the Umbrella creations. Hatred and disgust.

"No. They'll blame you Barry. I'll talk to them," Hunnigan speaks suddenly. Why is it that I pass out and everybody knows everybody except for me?

"Barry's been helping us," Ashley suddenly whispers to me, apparently having noticed my confused look. "He's the only one besides Rebecca that even dared help us once they figured out our identities."

I nod in understanding, grateful for the help for the older man. I stand, damn near falling to my knees from the pain that courses through the right side of my body. I should've stayed lying down… I set the glass on the table, which I realize it is just a metal table, and stand straighter, attempting to ease the pain on my arm and shoulder.

"You can't," Barry suddenly mumbles.

"Why not?" Hunnigan questions, stopping in between Barry and Ada.

"They don't trust you either…"

"So it's all my fault, right?" I snap suddenly, angry at the way the people I'd once called friends were behaving. "Because I dared step away from the life they were living? Because I didn't want to stay hidden for the rest of my life? Have they even stopped? Last year _they _took Umbrella down. Have they even considered that Wesker may not be completely with Umbrella anymore?"

Ada, Hunnigan, and Ashley stare at me in shock since this was the first time they'd ever heard me truly pissed off. Barry just looks sadly down. Movement behind Barry's left shoulder catches my attention, but I remain quiet about them.

"And what about you, Barry? Why did you give up staying with your family and being a normal guy to hunt down a corporation that doesn't even exist?" At his look of shock, I scoff and state, "The government gave me access to your files along with theirs'. Just one of the many things I received from becoming a government agent. Oh, and you guys can stop hiding now. I noticed you earlier."

Chris Redfield, Jill Valentine, Claire Redfield, Carlos Oliveira, and Rebecca Chambers enter the room in a neat line. Carlos is the only one who offers me a friendly wave. I finally recognize my young doctor, now that she is with the others.

I see Ada, Hunnigan, and Ashley crowd closer to my side, as if protecting me from the others.

"Who do you think you are?" Claire suddenly snaps, stepping forward a bit. Ada does too though, and this drives Claire back.

"What? Because I'm not acting like the good puppy you all expected me to be? Sorry, I'm all grown up and I make my own decisions. And why are you threatening Ada? What the hell has she ever done to you?" I growl, anger replacing any of my good attitude that had once been in me.

"She's a traitorous bitch!" came the red-head's response.

"What the hell are you talking about?! When has Ada ever betrayed you?"

"She hasn't but-"

"No! There are no buts. All of a sudden you guys go from being good people to incredibly paranoid and cold hearted to all those around you?" I turn to Ada. "Have you spoken to any of these people before?"

She looks up at me, replying, "Before today? No. I've never met them. Today? They only one who even spoke to me before claiming I'm a traitor is Barry."

Chris suddenly steps forward, gently telling Claire to go stand with the others. He looks at me. At 5' 11" I stand an inch taller than him but he's gained more muscle structure than I have. He smiles sadly.

"I'm sorry Leon. We had no reason to act like that to her. I reacted to my sister's words. I always have. But… I shouldn't have. I'm very sorry."

"Bullshit you are," I respond. I know him, not personally, but he wasn't sorry and he still didn't trust Ada.

"You're right. But I thought maybe we could just leave one another to our own dealings and discuss this matter like the adults we are. How's that sound?"

He offers his hand in the way of closing a deal. But I can't seem to get their treatment of Ada out of my head. I don't offer my hand back. Chris smiles and steps back, lowering his hand.

"We just can't get the way you treated her out of our heads… Maybe later we'll trust you but right now… No."

I stare in shock at the speaker. Ashley? No way could that be Ashley, the girl who'd asked me for "overtime". Ada's staring at the younger woman as well but she's offering a look of gratitude versus my shock.

"Okay, I think we can deal with that…" Chris says calmly. He looks at his friends/teammates. "That okay with you guys?"

Everybody but Claire responds with a sure or yes. The younger Redfield just glare's at Ada, who raises her eyebrow at the girl.

"Don't," I mumble gently and Ada just laughs.

--

"You don't trust them, do you?" Ada asks suddenly. She's helping me find a shirt from all the old clothes the S.T.A.R.S. had gathered over the years. Though to me it looks like she's finding something for herself as well. My blood had soaked through her jacket and remained on her red tank top.

"How can I?"

"You trust me…"

"You saved my life, how many times now? You saved me from Saddler twice, from Krauser, from Mendez, from the villagers-"

"You knew that was me?"

"No, but now I do. Anyway, not to mention that big one…."

An awkward silence met me and she lowered her head. I could tell that she was like me, unable to speak of her final showdown with that thing…

"Here," she suddenly says, handing me a navy blue T-shirt that looks about my size. "You've always looked better in blue anyway."

She smiles triumphantly when my face heats up, but we soon realize how difficult this is going to be. I look at her and she just laughs.

"Come here. I'll help."

With Ada's help I manage to put the shirt on. She steps away, examining me. It's kinda creepy, really, because she has one hell of an intense stare. She steps forward and shocks me by running her fingers through my bangs, tidying them up for me. She steps away again, smiling.

"You might as well look good when you're speaking to them," she remarks, laughing when my face turns red.

Ashley suddenly pops into the room, stating, "Okay. They'll listen to you now. Nice shirt."

"Thanks," I respond and the three of us exit the room, Ada still smirking at my fading blush.


	7. Speaking the Truth

Hero

"My back is killing me…" Ashley groans as she sits up. Hunnigan nods in agreement and I see Carlos stretching out, looking unhappy. Ada, Hunnigan, Ashley, Carlos, and I had been forced to sleep on the floor of the living room, since there weren't enough beds in the house.

"Now you know how I feel, chica," Carlos chuckles, since he apparently spends every night on the floor. Unfortunately, after what had happened to us in Spain, I see Ashley flinch at the Spanish word. Carlos gives her a confused look, when Barry enters the room.

"There's coffee and all that. You realize Ada's not here, right?" he asks, looking at where Ada had laid the night before.

"Yeah. She woke up early and went outside. She told me she was," I state, staring at him. I'd actually had a dreamless sleep last night but I still woke up extremely early. "Why? Did the others start to panic about her daring to go outside?"

"The others aren't even awake. I was just wondering where she disappeared to. I think she made the coffee, too, for which I'm extremely grateful."

Barry disappears down the hall and into the kitchen, where the four of us would more than likely be heading as well. I look around, thinking about everything, when I decide to go and speak to Ada.

I navigate through the house, which is quite small for the large number of people living in it. This alone makes me wonder two things; why did the S.T.A.R.S. choose LA and why such a small house?

Ada's leaning against the wall near the door and I see her silently staring into space as I join her. She is wearing a black t-shirt over black jeans, her black high heeled boots still on. Hell, I'm still in my clothes and boots from yesterday and I don't honestly care.

"Looking for anything in particular?" I ask, calmly looking out towards the busy street in front of the house.

"Nope… Just thinking…"

"May I ask what you're thinking about?"

"Well, you just did," she laughs, before shaking her head. She looks uncomfortable. "I was thinking about whether or not we should tell them. Especially with Carlos in there. It's very likely that hearing Spanish may trigger something in Ashley and we don't need her to start panicking…"

I frown, gazing into the distance where I can see the massive buildings and skyscrapers. Should we tell them? If we tell them about Ashley and me getting infected there's a chance that they'll completely stop trusting us. Or they'll want to run tests and examine us like experiments.

"If we tell them, we can't tell them about you two getting infected. We'll have to lie and say that Ashley never got the parasite, that you saved her before they could inject it into her neck," Ada admits, looking over at me.

"Are you a mind reader?" I ask, glancing at her. I smile at her but in reality I'm thinking about when the parasite took over and I attacked Ada.

She smiles at me, a rare true smile, and offers me her coffee mug. She shrugs, stating, "I don't have any diseases I could give you. And it's much less crowded out here. Unless you'd rather go and fight through the crowd to find a single drop of this stuff left... I didn't make that much."

"You are a mind reader," I laugh, accepting the mug. Am I really sharing a coffee with Ada Wong? The same Ada I thought had died in Raccoon City?

That's when we hear the shouting inside and I flinch when I recognize the major voices. Claire is arguing with Ashley. Is it possible that their voices are able to go that high?

Ada looks unhappy as I feel and looks like she's about to say something when a form stumbles through the doorway. It's Chris, looking disheveled and shocked. He looks at me and Ada, relief replacing his earlier emotions.

"I was wondering where you two had gotten to. Can you help? I don't know what happened but they're going to start killing each other in there," Chris breathes out.

Ada steps past us both and I follow, concerned for whoever managed to anger this woman. I can tell that she and the other two girls I'd come here with were running low on patience.

"Well maybe if you weren't such a _bitch _to somebody you didn't know, none of this would've happened!" Ashley screams, startling me. She was such a calm mannered girl and I'd never heard her curse. Wow, did Claire piss her off that bad?

We step into the kitchen to see Ashley and Claire, both with red faces and clenched fists, standing on either side of the table. They barely acknowledge Ada and I when we enter. I see the others standing in the doorway that leads to the living room, Hunnigan looking worried.

"Put it down," Ada suddenly orders. I look at her in confusion until I look at what Claire is holding in her left hand. A butcher knife, the blade gleaming in the fluorescent lights. "I'm guessing you don't recognize her, do you?"

Claire glares at Ada, possibly in an attempt to frighten her. But Ada just stares back, her face emotionless. And that scares me, because every time I've ever spoken to Ada she's playful or calm and composed, not emotionless.

"No. You're right, I don't recognize her. Who is she?"

"Well then, you can all say a kind hello to Ashley Graham, daughter to the President of the United States."

Claire's face goes from anger to shock and Ashley joins Ada and I. Hunnigan silently moves over to us and Chris moves past us. He gently takes the knife from his sister.

"I knew I recognized her!" Jill admits. "I just couldn't place it. What are you doing here? Why did you come with Leon and the others?"

Ashley frowns and looks at me, her eyes asking the same question Ada had earlier. Should we tell them?

"There's something we have to tell you," Ada finally sighs, her head lowered. She slips her hand into her right pocket on her jeans. I see purple and silver. Shit! I'd forgotten all about it!

Ada pulls out the vile that contains the sample, the purple fluid surrounding the egg inside giving off a slight glow.

"How did you get that through the airport?" Hunnigan asks, stepping forward.

"I had it in my bag. All they saw was what seemed to be some type of makeup tube, since the parasite doesn't give off the same readings as most living organisms. It isn't technically alive in the way we are," Ada says, looking over at her. "That's how they planned on getting Ashley home. Nobody would've been able to detect anything in her, so she would've been sent home. I honestly don't know how it works, seeing as I'm the dog not the doctor. I fetch, they examin…"

"What is it?" Claire finally asks but is ignored when Ashley starts to shiver.

"I never want to see that thing again," she hisses from my side, glaring at the parasite.

"I know. And after this, I plan on destroying it," Ada promises. Wait, was she just being nice to Ashley? And why was Ashley defending Ada yesterday? What was going on? I know I should be more concerned about the S.T.A.R.S. reaction towards the parasite, but this sudden change in attitude is confusing…

"What is it?" Chris asks, looking like he wanted to take the sample from Ada.

"Las Plagas, the plague. It's a parasitic organism that was buried in the earth in a small village in Spain known as the Pueblo. The castellan family Salazar managed to keep the parasites under control for years, until the eighth castellan Ramon Salazar fell to temptations offered by Osmund Saddler.

Saddler gained control of the parasite and started a cult known as Los Illuminados. He used the parasite to take over the Pueblo, making the villagers kill their own children…"

Ada stops for a second, especially after the shocked gasps that escaped the S.T.A.R.S. and Hunnigan. Ashley and I manage to remain quiet, though I noticed the widening of her eyes.

Ada starts again, her eyes focused on the ground. "Saddler decided to attack the United States and kidnapped the President's daughter. He was going to infect her with the parasite and send her home. He used another American agent, Jack Krauser, to kidnap Ashley. Leon was sent in to rescue her and I was sent in to help Krauser retrieve the sample. That's basically it, since you know that we survived."

"Who sent you?" Claire suddenly asks, glaring at Ada.

"Who do you think?" was Ada's response. The two stare at one another before Chris speaks.

"Wesker's after the parasite?" he asks.

" Personally, I was wondering if any of you were infected with this thing," Rebecca remarks.

"Why didn't you send Ashley home?" was Jill's question.

The sudden rush of questions is startling and I step forward, answering Chris' question. "Yes. He wants it for God knows what, but he does… And Rebecca, neither of us were infected. He didn't have to time to do such. And we couldn't send Ashley home. Wesker or somebody else sent some guys after us so we ran off. We're fugitives… We technically kidnapped the First Daughter…"

They stare at us in horror and shock. Well, that's just great isn't it?

--

Surprisingly, Chris decided that his hatred of Wesker was enough to help the four of us out. We had to do something to stop this and get Ashley back home before the Secret Service or FBI came after us.

"Leon!" Hunnigan shouts from the living room.

Chris, Ada, and I run to the living room to see the others crowded around the TV. A blonde reporter is in front of the hospital from two days ago.

"According to the government agent, this woman managed to kill Agent Ingrid Hunnigan and Agent Leon Kennedy and kidnap the President's daughter. He stated that no body's were found but both Hunnigan and Kennedy sent in distress calls speaking of an Asian woman with short black hair in red with green eyes. This is Alyssa Ashcroft reporting on the kidnapping of Ashley Graham…. Just in, the President is speaking about the kidnapping."

The footage changes from Ashcroft to President Graham, looking terrible. Heavy bags hand below his eyes which are bloodshot. He runs a shaking hand through his short hair before speaking.

"Because this woman was capable of taking down two well trained agents, I'm sending out a special operations forces team…"

Apparently he was answering a question… I look at Ashley to see tears in her eyes and I feel Ada's hand on my shoulder.

"But Mr. President, what if all she wants is a ransom?"

"She didn't leave any note, never called, and never made any sign that she wanted a ransom of any sort…"

"Will the team be ordered to kill her?"

"Yes."

I freeze and Ashley turns and looks at us. I feel Ada tense up at my side.

"I should have let her call her father…" she whispers.

I hear Chris curse before turning off the TV. He looks at me, confusion and worry etched across his face. Apparently he doesn't hate me as much as I thought he did. Then again, maybe he was just angry with me for joining the government instead of staying with them.

"Just hand her over! We could do without her!" Claire snaps. Jill shushes her.

"Let me call my dad! I can convince him to call of the team," Ashley offers. I'm about to agree when I hear a shattering sound. I glance at Ada and I see a terrified look on her face for the first time in my life. Then again, SOF were called special for a reason.

"Who's there?" Barry called, fear evident in his voice.

"We have to get out of here," I order, grabbing Ada's wrist in my hand.

"You guys go out the window in the storage room. We'll try and hold them off. We'll meet you guys at the hotel down the street," Chris says, motioning for us to leave.

Ashley goes to follow us but I shake my head, ordering her to stay her with the S.T.A.R.S. so the team can take her home.

"No! They'll know that these guys were in on this. They would be killed! And I've been with you guys for this long, I'm not about to leave now."

Ada just grabs our arms and tugs, leading us out the window through the room with all the clothes in it.

Hunnigan crouches low, looking around. I hear Chris shouting inside, acting like he can't tell who was breaking into his house, if it was the SOF team…

Ada quickly climbs into Barry's unlocked Ford Super Duty, hotwiring it as the rest of us climbed in as well. I look around, searching for a vehicle of come sort but I can't find one. That's not a good sign…

As Ada puts the truck in reverse and starts down the driveway, I grow even more worried. The truck is by no means quiet so-

The windshield is suddenly caught by several rounds, splintering the glass in several areas. Ada drops caution and puts the truck in drive, heading down the not-so-busy street as fast as possible.

Hunnigan looks at me in the read-view mirror. I look back, knowing exactly what she was thinking. We were wrong, that wasn't the SOF team.

More gunshots hit the back window, forcing Ashley and Hunnigan to duck. But, since Lady Luck hates us oh so much, a lucky round manages bury itself through the seat and straight into Ada's shoulder. She yelps, the wheel jerking as she looses control of the vehicle. The truck swerves, becoming dangerously close to several cars parked on the road in front of houses. I try to grab the wheel, but it's too late. We smash into the side of a parked car, metal screeching against metal, and blackness swallows us up.

A/N: Okay, so I have some bad news. There's a very good chance I won't be updating this weekend. It's my brother's birthday on Saturday and we're gonna spend the weekend going to the movies with him and crap like that. I apologize but I promise an update on Monday!


	8. Guns and Arguements

Hero

"Ada!" My body aches terribly and my shoulder feels like it's on fire.

"We have to get out of here! Leave her!" I'm just too tired to wake up.

"We can't! And it's not like we're going to be sprinting, not with my leg like this." Metal seems to cocoon me, but not in a protective way. Spikes of jagged metal pokes into my sides and legs.

"Just leave her!" My mind is foggy but I can tell where I am; I can remember crashing into the car on the road.  
"Shut up!" I'm completely awake now.

Hands grip my shoulders and tug, removing me from my cocoon with ease. I basically fall to the ground, a weak groan escaping me as two people lift me up.

"We'll have to carry her," a high pitched voice speaks. "Hunnigan, watch out for those men! Where is everybody?"

"They were probably scared off… Gangs don't typically go around firing off grenade launchers, Ashley," a much deeper voice responds. The two people tighten their grip, my arms around their shoulders.

Pistols going off in the distance make them look up and they start moving as soon as automatics respond.

"Ada?"

I look over at the man, smirking faintly when I realize who it is. God my shoulder hurts…

"Can you walk?"

"Maybe," I respond, placing weight on my legs. They seem fine, but I don't want to take the chance of them buckling when I try to walk.

"They're coming guys!" Hunnigan cries from near the truck, jogging back to us. "We have to get out of here…."

"Can you see what they're wearing?" I ask, practically praying that it's not the U.S.F.U. If it was, we were likely to die without guns on us.

"No… The truck they're driving has really dark windows…" Ashley admits.

Leon suddenly steps towards the crashed Super Duty, staring at it. I see Ashley frown in confusion.

"What are you looking for?" Hunnigan quickly asks, panicking at the men approaching. I have to remind myself she's not a field operative, since I'm beginning to get annoyed by her constant fear.

"Guns," he responds, reaching through the driver's side with his left arm. I glance down the street, looking for the truck that the enemy was driving.

"What?" Ashley questions, looking at him in confusion.

He shakes his head to stop the questioning and pulls out two 9 mm Browning HP pistols and a .357 magnum revolver. He quickly checks to see how much ammo each has and tosses the two pistols to Hunnigan and me. He keeps the revolver.

"Keep your eyes on the road; I have to find ammo for this thing."

Great… Defending. I hate defending. But at least I have an intelligent person to defend instead of the typical idiot who likes to scream and cry whenever something looks at him.

I lift the pistol, watching the street, when I see a flash of black against the gray building background. The flash was only about ten feet away from us. I aim at the flash and I manage to spot a black gun glinting in the sun. Rookie.

Quickly moving to the back of the crashed truck I aim at the gun, which instantly aims back. Unfortunately, I'm faster. I pull the trigger, the recoil sending shock waves into my shoulder, which instantly starts to throb and burn again. And Leon dealt with this all night? Poor guy…

I'm torn from my thoughts when Hunnigan starts shouting as well. The man I'd shot had fallen against the building, splattering big red splotches of blood on the pale building. I aim again, clench my jaw in an attempt to stop the pain, and spot new people who don't hesitate to shoot. I see Hunnigan jump back, shouting something about needing more ammo but that doesn't really matter at the moment.

I pull the trigger twice more, hitting two men in the head and sending gore splattering out behind them. I step quickly away when rounds pound into the back of the truck, splintering the metal with loud noises.

"Shit!" Hunnigan snaps, raising her hand to her left bicep.

I see blood pouring out from between her fingers and I fear that I'll be left alone to protect Leon. And my vision is fogging up from the pain I'd been trying to ignore.

I see something that startles me and humors me. Ashley grabs Hunnigan's gun and aims, though she looks confused.

"Hold it like me," I order, taking down two more men. I have nine rounds left in my pistol and I don't know how many Ashley has. "Aim down the barrel." We duck down near the truck. "When you have somebody in your sights, pull the trigger."  
Hunnigan runs over to help Leon and Ashley does as I ordered. She pulls the trigger, jumping at the recoil of the gun. I see a man go down from a bullet in his shoulder. Impressive.

A hand touches my shoulder and over Ashley's shooting I hear Leon. "Here, more ammo!"

I take three more slips and stand, joining him where he stands. He's reloading the magnum, his hands calm event though his right arm is covered in fresh blood. Every time he's around me, something bad happens… And it's typically my fault…

"How many are there?" he asks, jolting me out of my thoughts.

"About ten when we first got over here. I took down six and Ashley took down one. Three left. But I'd say these three are good at what they do."

He nods quickly and we crouch down, aiming at the men hiding in the shadows of the building. The sun beats down but the fall air is much cooler now that we're covered in cooling blood. Isn't that a nice thought?

Leon pulls the trigger on the magnum and Ashley jumps at the bang. I look up to see a man go down, blood pouring out from his throat.

"Nice one," I laugh. He smirks at me and we open fire. Ashley shoots one man through the knee, his leg buckling the wrong way. I see the young girl flinch but I focus on the hidden man. He's managed to almost completely vanish against the buildings by staying in the shadows, but if anybody is good at hiding in the shadows it's me. I take aim and pull the trigger, placing a bullet through his head.

"Are they all dead?" Ashley whimpers, letting Hunnigan take the gun from her.

"I believe so," I state, looking at the dead men. None of them are wearing any head gear but I still don't recognize any of them. Weird.

"You guys are alive!" somebody shouts behind us. Still acting on instincts, Leon and I turn, aiming our guns at the intruder's head. He jumps, raising his hands in defense. It's Chris.

"Where the hell have you been?" Leon snaps, lowering his magnum.

"Shit, some of those assholes decided to stay back at the house. We managed to take care of them and we just heard the gunshots… Sorry."

Leon shakes his head, grumbling something too quiet for anybody to hear, especially when the sirens start up.

"What the hell is going on?" Hunnigan growls, looking at where the sirens are coming from. "It's like they're being controlled or something."

Ashley frowns but she apparently realizes that the control Hunnigan is speaking of is different then the one she's thinking of.

"Come on, the others already got us some rooms in the hotel," Chris calmly says, though he looks just as worried as the rest of us.

--

The S.T.A.R.S. members stand up when they see us, shock replacing their placid expressions earlier. The man who must've greeted the S.T.A.R.S. stares at us in repulsion, as if us bleeding to death in his hotel will be the worst thing to have ever occurred.

Chris leads the nine of us to the elevator. We all decided to crowd in since we didn't want to separate.

"You guys look like all hell broke loose," Carlos admits from my right, looking over the four of us.

"Yeah, well next time maybe you guys could offer us some automatics and rifles instead of two pistols and a magnum," I respond, unconsciously messing with the pistol hidden in my pocket. Oh no… The parasite!

I search my pockets in worry, when I feel broken glass. I see Leon look at me in worry. Pulling the destroyed sample out, I see mixed emotions cross over everyone's faces.

"Isn't that a good thing? Now Wesker won't have to send out his little lapdogs," Barry remarks, looking confused at the worried looks on Leon's face and on my own.

"No… The sample was our only way to escape him killing us for a little while… We could've used it against him. Now he'll just kill us," I mumble. Why had I lost control over that-

Leon rests his hand on my shoulder, stating, "There's no reason to worry just yet. He won't know until he sees it, so for now we're okay. We'll have to do something."

The elevator stops and we exit, Chris leading us through the hallway. He finally stops in front of a room.

"We paid for five rooms. Until we sleep, we should stay in one room. Than we can break off into groups of two."

Nods respond to Chris' statement and we all enter the room he's standing next to. It's an elegant room with white walls and white furniture. I have to admit, the hotel is nice.

"Oh, I could get used to this," Rebecca admits, stretching out on the bed.

"Okay, we need to do three things really quick before you guys go clean up. First, we need to decide on what we're going to do. Second, we need to find out how to deal with the government, then we can worry about who's going to stay with who tonight," Chris orders, apparently having decided he was going to be leader. Ashley, Hunnigan, and I stay next to Leon and I have to wonder if it's because we've begun to view himas our leader instead of Chris.

"Okay, we need to stop this bastard," Jill said bluntly. "We'll go after him. Ada should know where some of his bases are."

I nod unconsciously and Chris looks at us. "Okay then. After you guys clean up, we'll work on the plan."

"I can call my dad. I can convince him to call off the.. Uh… What were they? Special forces?"

"Special operations forces. SOF," Leon responds automatically.

"Yeah… them."

"Okay," Chris says, looking relieved at the idea of getting the government off our backs. "Same thing. Call him after and all that… Now. Groups?"

"How about we stick to same sex rooms? We don't need any of _that_ while we're starting a personal war…" Jill remarks, glaring at Carlos. The Hispanic man grins weakly at her, before groaning.

"Fuck that! I'll be stuck with that stupid bitch," Claire snaps. She's standing almost right next to me and I can tell she'd speaking of me. I frown and Leon shakes his head. What did I ever do to her?

"Don't start that again!" Ashley snaps.

Claire glares at the younger girl, snapping, "Why not? Though I'm glad we're sticking to same sex. She'd probably screw all the guys before sunrise."

I see Leon tense up suddenly but instead of anybody else defending me, I do it myself. I grab her by the collar and pin her against the wall, the Browning HP in my hand in a matter of seconds.

"Maybe you should repeat that to my face," I icily state, pressing the barrel of the gun under her chin. "You should stop speaking of somebody you don't know before that somebody blows half of your brains out through the roof of your skull. Though I'm not quite certain if you even have that many brains left."

I release her, stepping away. The S.T.A.R.S. are staring at me in disbelief, but I don't care. I don't understand why this little brat thinks of me the way she does.

Claire holds her neck, staring at me in shock and hatred. Leon lays his hand on my shoulder, stating, "You have no right to treat her like you have been. You act as if she has done something to you in the past but she hasn't. Or at least not that I know of. What the hell is your problem?"

"She's Wesker's! She works-"

"Worked."

"Whatever. She's Umbrella."

"And? So was Carlos. But you all trust him. What about Barry? Why is it that you hate Ada so much?"

I frown, noticing the look in her eyes, before laughing. "It's because I came back, right? Steve didn't but I did. And you hate that, don't you?"

Her face pales considerably but I don't care. I continue, "The difference is, I didn't die. Leon... I never died." He stares at me, though he doesn't look that surprised. "You were hurt and you'd gone through hell and back. You were in shock and my heartbeat slowed incredibly. You thought I was dead. I thought that too. But I wasn't. Steve died. I'm sorry but the only way he's coming back now is as a bio-weapon."

Claire looks away but even that doesn't stop me. "How did you know about me?"

"I looked you up in Umbrella's files. All it said was your name and that you survived Raccoon after being believed to be dead…"

"How about you guys go clean up?" Chris offers, stepping forward. I'm guessing he notices how badly I want to hurt his sister. She hates me because I survived...

"Rooms?" Jill asks, noticing my emotions as well. Claire steps towards the bed.

"Chris and you, Carlos and Rebecca, Barry and Claire, me and Hunnigan, Leon and Ada," Ashley says and nobody bothers to argue.


	9. Not So Alone

Hero

Hero

"Is that Ashley?" is the first thing out of Leon's mouth after his shower. He tosses his blue shirt onto the bed about a foot away from me as I nod faintly.

I'm staring at the wall, almost as if I hope to see through the plaster and find out what's wrong with the girl.

"What's she shouting about?" he asks.

"I can't tell… I'm guessing somebody told her she's not getting beauty products or something…" I offer, still staring at the wall.

He laughs faintly behind me, when something smashes into the wall. I jump slightly and I begin to worry that things are getting violent over there.

"… That doesn't sound good."

"Aren't you going to do something about it?" I ask trying to fix the shirt Jill had given me.

Unlike last time, we didn't get to choose our clothes. So I was stuck with a T-shirt that felt too loose and jeans that felt too tight. I continued to wear my boots since I wasn't about to try to force Jill's boots onto my feet. And what's worse is the shirt feels tight around my bandaged shoulder, which I managed to bandage myself. I didn't want help from the S.T.A.R.S.

"Why?"

"You're her bodyguard!"

"So?"

I turned to look at him, forcing myself to ignore the fact that he hadn't put on his shirt yet. Also unlike last time, when I'd helped him with his shirt, I could see him perfectly. I wish we were back in the dimly lit room like last time. Too much of a…distraction this time.  
He shrugs faintly, jerking his head up when something thuds against the wall again. This time, Ashley shouts loud enough for me to actually hear her.

"I shouldn't have chosen this set up! Why don't you switch with Barry! You're so annoying! You and Claire will get along just fine!"

"Wow," Leon mumbles from behind me.

I don't look back at him and I find myself thinking of what Ashley had said to me once we'd arrived at the S.T.A.R.S. house what felt like years ago.

_"You care about him? I mean, it's obvious he cares about you… He even said so… I just- I thought you were a traitor and I didn't want to share him. But if you do care about him, I really have no reason to hate you. I can't have him, but that doesn't mean nobody else can't. Just… Take care of him okay? I was a pretty big pain when we were surviving Spain and he took a lot of crap for me. I don't know how much more he can take."_

The girl wasn't as pompous as I'd originally thought. And come on, what girl wouldn't fall for a guy like Leon? He was pretty much the perfect man, after all.

"I suppose I should stop them," Leon finally admits, when the shouting suddenly stops. I look back at him and I realize he's waiting for the argument to break out again. That's when I see it.

We're both covered in scars, though mine are covered up by the shirt I'm wearing. But the one scar that stands out on him and probably always will is the circle on his left shoulder. From when he took that bullet for me in Raccoon, when my opinion of him changed from thinking of him as a rookie to thinking of him as a hero.

I pull my eyes away but I can't help it. Raccoon always did this to me. It made me weak and emotional. I almost always broke into tears when I saw anything that related to Raccoon and I couldn't help but avoid seeing myself in any mirrors so I can't see the jagged scar on my right side.

I lower my head and close my eyes as tightly as possible in an attempt to stop the tears. I hope that Leon doesn't notice my sudden change in attitude but I hear him whisper my name, almost as if he was finishing a prayer of some sort, and I feel his presence at my side.

I look up, hoping my eyes aren't too red as I bitterly laugh, "I know I'm weird. I'm supposed to be the ice queen but I'm not. I can't even think of that city without panicking. And on September 28 and 29 I hide myself away. Wesker would've had me killed long ago if he realized that it haunted me this badly…"

He sits next to me, a faint smirk on his lips as he states, "At least you admit to it. I don't. People ask me why I joined the government and I lie. I don't tell them that I was forced to join so they would 'protect' Sherry when in reality they handed her over to Wesker. I don't tell anybody that I survived Raccoon City. My mom…"

He goes silent, eyes full of an emotion that confuses me.

"What?"

"She got cancer after Raccoon and died two years ago. I never told her the truth. I was too afraid. I couldn't bring up those memories…"

His mother died? I never read this part of his history and I had a tendency to check his history monthly.

"Is that why you were uncomfortable in that hospital?" I ask, looking away from him. Now I'm glad Ashley's arguing stopped, though I do wish it wasn't so silent. I notice that the night is quickly approaching, making the room almost black.

"Yeah. Last time we spoke was in a hospital and by then I'd seen so much death that I knew she was going to die soon…"

Poor guy… Why was it that such an innocent man got such a terrible deal? I feel curiosity itching at my mind. The last time I'd even seen the bullet wound he'd still had on his uniform, so…

Before I really know what I'm doing, I pull myself behind him, noticing how he tenses up the second my hands touch his shoulders. I run my hand over a nasty knife scar that must've been from Krauser. They had been training partners at one time, after all.

"Where's the jet-ski?" I suddenly ask, examining the multiple scars and old wounds.

"Government took it once we hit Spain. I don't even know if they brought it back here. Why?"

"What about the key and the bear?" I ask, ignoring his question. I finally let my hand brush up against the bullet wound scar.

"I think I had them in my pocket of my pants. So it's at the S.T.A.R.S. house. Again, why?"

"And you didn't even examine the bear, did you?"

"I didn't honestly get the chance."

I'm about to say something when Leon turns and pins me against the bed. He looks at me curiously. "Answer my question."

I grin up at him, purring, "We'll have to go back for the bear. You'll find out soon enough."

He shakes his head and that leaves open an opportunity. I throw my weight against him and manage to turn him over onto the bed. Now I'm on top, straddling his waist.

"You may have gotten better at fighting Leon, but I-"

I'm cut off when he props himself up on his hands and kisses me. Startled, I accept the kiss, wrapping my arms around his shoulders. The playful attitude disappears as I realize what is happening. I almost feel the urge to laugh when I remember Claire's statement from earlier but I don't dare pull away.

I pull my arms away from around his shoulders and rest my hands against his chest, feeling his heart hammering against his ribcage. Then again, I can _hear_ mine doing the exact same thing. I push against his chest forcing him to lie down on the bed. He accepts the idea and hugs me closer.

When we finally pull away and open our eyes, I look at him in confusion. Why did he always confuse me?

This time, I startle him. Pressing my lips against his neck where I can feel his pulse, I drop my hands to his belt. Touching the cold metal of his belt buckle makes me realize that this is really happening.

He runs his hands against my waist and I move enough that he can slip his hands under my shirt. I kiss him again, almost undoing the belt, when-

Somebody knocks on the door. I jump and roll off of him, glaring at the door as Leon tries not to laugh.

"Yes?" I ask, hoping I don't sound as out of breath as I feel.

"Chris is holding a meeting to prepare for going after Wesker. And he also managed to get some backup for us," the Rebecca replies.

This piques my interest and I see Leon looking up curiously. "What kind of backup?"

"Don't worry. I've worked with three of them in the past. And the other guy… Well, he's kinda secretive but he's always helped before so…" Rebecca states. I notice the happy tone to her typically calm voice and I have to wonder who all is in that room. Would Billy honestly show himself in public?

"Come on," Leon suddenly said.

He'd already put the shirt on. I couldn't help but notice that while his left arm was a light tan color, his left arm was stark white having been covered with the clean bandages Rebecca had given us. I notice that we both had run our fingers through our hair in hopes that nobody would point anything out.

We walk to the door and Leon quickly puts his boots on while I open the door. Rebecca looks excited, her face full of color compared to her typically pale complexion. So then, it was Billy. He was rather gutsy…

"Who are they?" Leon asks, and I agree.

"Chris said don't tell anybody, just in case, especially you two," she admits, leading us back to the first room.

"Why did we have to have an escort back to the room?" I ask quickly. Leon shakes his head and shrugs in response.

The room is once again crowded and the second we enter Ashley quickly joins us. The look on her face worries me. She looks worried and confused and most of all scared.

"We were wondering what was taking you guys so long," Jill admits. I see Claire glaring at me.

I shrug, replying, "I just got out of the shower. So I was getting dressed when Rebecca came over."

Ah, how easy it is to lie. Though I am glad that my hair is still damp from my shower. I had, after all, spent most of it trying to clean my hair of blood from my shoulder.

That seemed to satisfy everybody, though I see Claire still staring at me. Finally a black man stands up, almost towering over everybody and looks at Leon and me. I feel uncomfortable in an instant, since I didn't remember to grab my pistol. It feels like he is sizing me up and I have almost no doubt that S.T.A.R.S. told him and his friends who I am…or was.

Leon tenses up at my side and I almost feel grateful, mainly because if Leon could take on Jack Krauser, the U3, several Gigantes, the Verdugo, William Birkin, and that bastard that 'killed' me the T-103 then he could take on some guy who's trying to size us up.

"Um, this is John Andrews of S.T.A.R.S. Exeter in Maine. John, this is Leon Kennedy and Ada Wong," Chris says, stepping forward. He looks at us, apparently noticing the fact that we tensed up, becoming ready for a fight.

"Yeah. Nice to meet you and all that," John grumbles.

I unconsciously laugh, and I really don't mean to, it's just men like him make me laugh. They expect their size and muscle mass to scare little girls like me or smaller guys like Leon. But there's not much that can scare us any longer.

"What's so funny?" John suddenly asks, stepping forward. I notice Barry standing as well, hopefully to hold him back. I wouldn't have to hurt him.

"You," I reply, as bluntly as possible.

This time, he doesn't just step towards us, he walks towards us. Leon steps forward, almost shielding me, when a calm voice rings out.

"Please Mr. Andrews. You must excuse her. She doesn't know what being kind is."

I recognize that voice…

Ashley snaps, "Oh shut your trap. All you've done is complain about…"

She suddenly becomes quiet, apparently realizing that we're standing right next to her. I look over, trying to keep calm.

"Us?" I ask, my voice as icy as it was when I spoke to Claire.

She nods and looks down. "Mostly you, but he said that Leon is… I don't know. A lapdog for you?"

I turn, hand dropping to my waist. I wish I'd grabbed my gun. "So now you're talking about me behind my back, Darius?"

I see a man in the back of the room tense up and Rebecca has a confused look on her face.

"Oh, my apologies. I seem to have forgotten that you don't go by Viktor Darius any longer, that your name now is Trent. One last nod towards Daddy?"

He flinches, before laughing. He replies, "At least I acknowledge death. You managed to escape it and now you act like you're immortal."

"No. Not really. I just don't fear it. So I see you're still trying to go up against Umbrella."

"You know each other?" a man asked, his calm British voice new in the room full of Americans.

"Know each other? Like friends?" I try not to laugh. "No. Actually, he was a hit of mine a couple years back. I just never went through with it."

Light gasps of shock echo across the room, and I see John giving me a deadly look. Leon groaned behind me.

"Yes, she was an assassin," he states, staring calmly at John. Would he really fight for me, again?

"What the hell? Why are you guys working with an assassin?" a fourth new voice asks bitterly.

"And I could ask why they're working with a runaway convict," I remark, glaring coldly at him. More shock flooded everybody's faces.

"Look, now is not the time! After all this has been handled, fine. Go at one another, tear each other's throats out. But right now, we need to get rid of Wesker and get the government off our backs," Hunnigan snaps, trying to keep calm.

I look over at Ashley. I'd forgotten she was supposed to call her father. She now holds a cell phone in her hand. As she's dialing, I wonder if Chris had already explained what had happened.

"Hello?" a female voice rings out. I realize Ashley had turned it to speaker.

"Um, can I speak to President Graham?" Ashley tries.

"Who is this?"

"I can't say. Please put him on. It's about his daughter."

An audible gasp pours out of the speaker and I hear the woman shouting out for the President. Ashley mouths 'mom' at us. I nod in understanding. Poor girl couldn't even talk to her mom.

"Yes?" a deeper voice asks.

"You're on speaker phone. I can't talk to you while you are. And you have to make your wife walk out of the room," Ashley orders.

I look over at Leon, who smirks back and whispers, "She's a college student. She knows plenty about phones."

"Fine," he mumbles, followed by an audible change in sound. "Happy now?"

"No. Are there Secret Service with you?"

"Yes."

"You have to get rid of them. Oh, and tell the FBI to not come after me."

"Fine, fine. Would you please just tell me what you want?"

"Well, I don't know. If you can't even recognize your own daughter's voice, then why should I?"

A shocked silence responds to Ashley's confession and I gently pat her shoulder. 'Well done,' I mouth. She grins back.

"Ash? You're… Wait… Why?" he stammers, apparently in a shock.

"I sent mom out just to make it look like I'm the bad guy. Look Dad, I don't have very much time and I'm hanging up after I tell you this. The woman who took me is not a bad person. She didn't kidnap me, she saved me. Leon Kennedy and Ingrid Hunnigan are not dead. They're standing right next to me. You have to call off that… SOF team or whatever they're called. We already have enough problems at the moment. I've gotta go. Love you, bye."

She closes the phone and sighs sadly. Again I pat her on the shoulder, calmly saying, "Good job, Ashley." I turn back to the others. "We'll only have about an hour to stay here until the FBI come after us."

"That's plenty of time. Trent gave us maps of Umbrella bases. Where is Wesker?" Chris asks, looking at me.

"Last time I spoke to him, I sent the fake parasite sample to France. That's a good place to start."

"Okay. This is a pretty big base," he admits, flicking through a couple sheets of paper. I can barely see maps on them.

"Then we'll split into groups," Jill states. "Groups of seven so we can check the two parts of the base. How about… Ashley you do this."

The blonde nods and looks around. Wait, Trent's coming? Weird…

"Okay. How about Leon, Ada, me, Hunnigan, Chris, Jill, and Carlos in one group. Then Claire, John, Trent, the guy with spiky hair, the guy with the tattoo, Barry, and Rebecca."

I'm about to nod in agreement when I hear loud sirens in the street. Jill glances out the window and her face pales. "It's the LAPD and the FBI… How?"

"They must have better tracers than I thought," I admit.

"Okay. We have two SUVs outside. Get some gear and get back in here. It looks like we'll have to make a break for it," Chris orders.

Leon sighs as we turn to go back to our room. I look up at him and he states, "I can't just have five seconds of relaxation, can I?"

A/N: If you're confused about the chapter, check out my profile. I have some info in there that's pretty important.


	10. Bears and Planes

Hero

"You're not driving," Hunnigan hisses at Ashley as we make a quick exit from the hotel. We enter the employee parking lot, almost completely empty of cars but two black Explorers and a couple more.

She gives Hunnigan a hurt expression, before tucking her pistol into her pocket like the rest of us. The again, the FBI's arrival had startled the girl as well. She'd realized her father was more intent on bringing her home, then letting innocent people go. But like the last time we tried to convince Ashley to leave, she'd decided she was a part of this. At least I know I have two allies in this battle.

"I have a private jet waiting for us," Trent states calmly, as if the sirens weren't bothering him as badly as they were us. I could see past the charade, however, since his hands were quaking ever so slightly.

"We have to go back to your house!" I snap at Chris.

"Why?" he questions, his eyes wide at my statement. I understand his worry but that bear is important.

"There's something there that I have to get. It's extremely important!" I reply, noticing that Leon and Jill are watching the skies. I look at them in confusion until I hear the _thwap, thwap, thwap _of a helicopter. It must be in the front of the building.

"Shit! We don't have time!" Jill snaps, glancing at the trucks.

"I don't care!" I warn. "Then let me go back alone! I have to get it!"

"No! You're probably trying to go warn Wesker that we're coming after him!" Claire suddenly shouts.

Everyone flinches before Leon says, "Let Ada and I go get it. You guys get to the jet. Wait as long as possible for us. But if you have to, leave."

"How will you guys get there?" Barry asks, looking at us in concern.

"We'll have to hot wire a car," I mumble.

"They'll kill you," Ashley whimpers.

"Not if they see _you_," I calmly reply. "If they see you guys driving away with Ashley, their attention will be on you. Get out of here, drive as fast as possible, and loose the FBI. Hopefully the President will call them off, though I doubt that."

Chris frowns deeply but eventually nods. "Here. Take my cell phone. I'll call you and give you directions to the jet. Hurry up. We won't have much time. Good luck and I really hope this thing is important."

I smirk before taking the cell phone. Leon and I duck into the shadows as the helicopter appears around the corner of the building and spots Chris and the others. Chris motions for the others to follow him and they sprint to the cars. I feel myself hoping that the helicopter will mistake one of them for me, so we'll have a little time.

As the SUV's take off with the helicopter at their heels, I hear a door open to my right. Leon jumps slightly, turning in his crouch to face the door. It's the man from earlier who'd given us dirty looks when we'd entered the hotel. Leon looks at me in confusion, when the man speaks into a cell phone he's holding.

"Yes. They've left with the girl. I'm certain she was with them. I saw a woman with dark hair get in the second truck." I can barely hear the person's voice and I can't hear what the person says. The hotel man mumbles, "We've managed to locate the S.T.A.R.S. safe house and once this conversation is over I'll send a team over there to search." More speaking from the other person. "I understand sir."

With a groan the man snaps the phone shut and I slip past Leon's side. I step quietly enough that he doesn't even hear me and only notices my existence when I grab his chin and place my other hand at the base of his neck.

"Who was that?" Leon snarls from my side. The man can't turn his head enough to see Leon so he sticks to rolling his eyes.

"As if I'd tell-"

With a fluid jerk, I break his neck and let him fall to the ground. Leon gives me a questioning look but I shake my head. I'll have to explain once we're in a car. I look around the empty parking space and spot a nice red Honda.

"Come on. The sooner we get out of here the more I'll be able to explain. But you can't repeat this," I order, slipping towards the car. I'm about to pick the lock on the car when I realize that Leon's not at my side. He appears at my other side and hands me a set of keys.

"I thought he might be the manager and this is the manager's parking space," he admits.

I smirk and take the keys while he goes to the passenger's side. I hastily unlock the doors and start the car, praying that the FBI had completely followed Chris and the others. As I pull out of the parking lot, I notice that nobody is around and I hit the gas. The car lurches forward and I start towards the house.

"Okay, why did you kill that guy?" Leon asks, holding the .357 magnum in his right hand.

"He worked for Wesker. They're after the bear," I mumble, letting my right hand grip the chain and pendent around my neck.

He looks at me in confusion, asking, "Why is this bear so damned important? Is it really worth dying over?"

"Okay. I'm going to tell you something but you'll have to refrain from asking questions. Back in…" I trail off, remembering where speaking of Raccoon had gotten us last time, before I continue. "Raccoon I wasn't the only agent sent after the G-virus. The difference is I was sent to retrieve the sample for Wesker while the other, Alpha Team of the U.S.F.U. was sent in by Umbrella. I kept that girl's pendent but I never handed over the sample. I gave them a tissue sample instead. But this sample was heavily mutated and they couldn't really work with it. And the virus that HUNK got was destroyed somehow and not by me."

I stop for a second, glad that Leon hasn't said anything. This was rather unlike the me he knew after all. I was worried he would be confused by my actions, since all of a sudden I go from being the cold-hearted assassin/spy to wanting to protect the world from Wesker's evil intentions.

"I couldn't bring myself to hand the virus over so I hid the pendent and took the sample out. That little bear has the sample inside it."

I don't even look at him, though I can tell he's shocked.

"So… You…"

"I never gave Wesker the virus and I never gave him the parasite. I've always been on your side… And the organization. Well, they're a little more difficult to explain. Later. After all of this, I promise I'll explain everything. The organization, what the U.S.F.U. is, and even HUNK himself."

He nods quickly and I realize we're at the house. I'm rather glad that I've always been really good with directions. I stop and we jump out, keeping our eyes on the road and our ears listening for cars or helicopters.

As we enter the safe house, I hear Leon mumble, "How did they get control of Los Angeles?"

"You think they did?" I ask, heading towards where we'd placed our clothes from because of the damage we'd taken. "I'm glad you brought it with you."

"I just grabbed everything out of my pockets, honestly. But I completely forgot to do that this time. And yes, I do. Ever since we got in this city, people have been acting weird," he mumbles from behind me. I shake my head, though I do agree with him.

We step into the room and instantly start searching for his jeans. I realize that we're surrounded by black clothing. I stop and scowl. Why does black have to be-

"Found it," Leon states, holding the bear in his right hand.

"How…?"

"Mine are the only pants covered in blood," he admits.

I'm about to reply when I hear the sound of screeching tires outside. I glance out the window, noticing headlights that light the street up completely.

"Who-" I start when a form bursts into the room, making Leon and I spin around and aim our guns at the intruders. It's Rebecca. Both of us relax.

"Hurry," she breathes, her breath heaving out loudly. "We came back because nobody else had their cell phones. Great huh?"

The three of us run outside and Leon and I join Chris and the others in the first SUV. Chris starts the vehicle up and takes off down the street. Hunnigan is reading him directions from the backseat behind him.

"You get what you wanted?" Carlos asks, looking at us. Leon slips the bear into my hand and I squish the furry thing pleasantly.

"No," I lie, glancing forward. "We couldn't find it."

"That sucks," Ashley remarks. "I hope it wasn't too important."

I smirk but I'm feeling the fatigue that I've been repressing. I haven't gotten a good night's sleep since before Spain. Seeing Leon had brought up too many memories. And as I unconsciously lean on his shoulder, letting my eyes shut after so many restless nights, I'm glad that I'd seen him again.

I fall asleep quickly.

--

_I look up from reading my files and spot a young man, covered in gore and gripping a VP70. A cop, I realize. Smirking, I glance at the truck and step out. I have to be careful so I aim about a foot away from his left ankle. I pull the trigger and I start my new façade._

_The cop turns and I'm slightly shocked to see him point the VP70 at me, though he quickly lowers it. He's young but handsome, and he knows how to handle the gun he's holding. Those are good things. I glance at his eyes and I'm shocked. HE has extremely blue eyes._

_I smile apologetically and I hope my appearance is that of a nervous woman. "Sorry about that. When I saw the uniform, I thought you were another zombie," I lie quickly._

_I see disbelief flash in his eyes before he asks, "Who are you?"_

_I start walking forward, replying, "Ada Wong."_

_"And what are you doing here?"_

_I want to laugh. Cute, he's still sticking to the code. "I'm looking for some guy named Ben. He's one of those reporter types, always looking for a scoop. I heard he was locked up in the cell block, only there's a wrecked car barring the entrance. I've been trying to find another way inside."_

_I stop near the back doors of the vehicle, smirking again. "If we work together, we can move this thing. Give me a hand, will you?"_

_He glances at me, his eyes curious, and I feel an almost unknown emotion; guilt. Why was I putting him in harm's way? But it was too late for me to retract the offer. He joins me at the truck and glances at me calmly. I sigh and rest my hands against the cool metal and together we push the truck out of the way._

_I instantly take off, ignoring his call. Get out of here while you can, kid. You have no need to die and I'm not going to kill an innocent man._

--

"Would you wake her up then?" Hunnigan asks.

"Wake who up?" I grumble bitterly. Leon laughs faintly and I see Ashley glare at Hunnigan dangerously. The dream fades away and I glance at the once rookie cop.

"Come on, we're here," Leon calmly says, jumping out of the truck.

I follow suit, shielding my eyes against the bright sun and groaning at the sudden warmth. Where wear we? Not LA from what I could see. No buildings or cars surrounded us any longer.

"So, the FBI won't find us, right?" Rebecca asks from nearby. I see Trent shrug and I really want to kill him. Idiot. He believes that interfering with Umbrella's plans will lead him to revenge against those who killed his parents. But that's not going to happen.

"A leer jet?" Leon asks from my side.

I look up and spot it. A sleek jet sits before us, a pale silvery color with the Umbrella symbol on its left wing. I want to laugh. He would bring Umbrella's private jet. Leon looks down at me and I see the look in his eyes. He doesn't like this any more than I do.

"Uh, who's driving?" Barry asks as we start to crowd around the vehicle.

"I have personal pilots waiting on board. Don't worry, I've already given them the base we're heading to. We should be there by late afternoon," Trent promises, looking over our faces. I notice his gaze lingers on mine then on Leon's. I really have to hope he never knew about the G-virus.

"Okay. What about the cars?" Billy asks, glancing back at the vehicles.

"Don't worry, Mr. Coen. Everything is fine! I promise you this. I've got everything under control," he assures.

I shake my head and I spot Chris pulling out the backpacks that Ashley and Hunnigan had been carrying around since the hospital. They're full of stuff from the four of us, since Hunnigan still didn't trust the S.T.A.R.S. completely, Ashley likes us more than she does them, and I just placed a couple changes of clothes in the bag for Leon and me.

The fourteen of us climb aboard and I see Jill looking around uncomfortably. She glances over at me, eyes cautious.

"What's wrong?" I ask. I know Jill's one of the sharpest on the team, she was a crook then part of Delta, so she had to have some skills.

"The last time we trusted Trent he told me all of the puzzles we would face in the mansion. He even told me to be cautious of Wesker. Why isn't he doing the same thing now? Isn't the Paris facility big? Wouldn't he know about it?"

I smirk bitterly, glad she'd pointed that out. "Paris is Umbrella's headquarters. Meetings are held there, still, even though Umbrella has no power these days. So yes, he should be warning us of something but he's not."

She nods again, muttering, "We'll have to keep our eyes on him. Maybe… I don't know…"

"He's after me," I finally admit. Leon stops and looks at me and Jill gives me a shocked expression. "I almost always work with three or four groups. Well, in Raccoon I was working for Wesker, Trent, and Umbrella. When I betrayed Umbrella and Trent completely, he became angry. That's why he was trying to get you guys to turn against me."

Leon mumbles something coldly, his eyes focused on Trent where he stands. Jill just shakes her head silently and I force Leon to sit down. This time, he gets the window seat so I don't have to see how far above the earth we are.

Ashley sits down in front of me, next to Hunnigan. They give us frightened looks. I cock my head in question but Ashley shakes her head sharply and mouths, 'I'll explain later.'

I nod when Trent speaks from upfront. "It seems there's a pretty nasty thunderstorm heading towards California. We'll have to endure a bumpy ride." He looks at me, coldly stating, "I hope none of you are afraid of flying."

Leon looks like he's about to shoot Trent but I hold his right arm gently. The bandages are rough under my hand and he looks at me quietly.

As the leer jet starts towards the runway, I hear a muffled explosion behind us. Several of us jump, looking back. But I just look at Ashley, who scowls bitterly.

"He blew the trucks up?" I whisper.

"Yeah. We saw them carrying explosives out towards the cars," Hunnigan says softly.

"Who?" Leon suddenly questions, his voice as low as possible.

Ashley's face pales as she replies, "I don't know but they had the same symbol from the jet on their vests."

I glance at where Trent's sitting, feeling my hand grip my pistol. What is going on here?

"What's wrong?" Rebecca whispers from behind me.

"Trent's got Umbrella employees on the plane," Leon explains. "And that would be acceptable but everybody in Umbrella more than likely recognizes you guys or at least Ada. Wouldn't they warn their superiors?"

"Oh shit… You think he's betraying us?" John hisses sharply.

"More than likely," I mumble.

I hear several more murmurs behind me as they explain to the others what's going on. Trent on the other hand seems to have fallen asleep, even though I can tell he's listening to us. I have to trust that the S.T.A.R.S. can keep their voices down.

The plane jolts suddenly and I unconsciously grip Leon's arm tighter. I hear him breathe in sharply but nothing more. The turbulence starts to become worse, making the plane jump and lurch violently through the air.

"Jesus! This is one hell of a thunderstorm!" I hear Barry bark from the back.

"Did he make us leave right now on purpose?" Hunnigan groans, gripping her chair with her finger nails.

"I'll kill him if he did," I snarl in response.

The plane starts to lurch even more, jumping violently. I glance out the window, even though three-quarters of the way closed, and I see bolts of lightning flashing.

"I guess this isn't a good time to say I'm afraid of lightning, isn't it?" Ashley weakly laughs.

I smile faintly, though my heart is racing. Leon looks at me and states, "If you keep holding my arm like that, it's going to die."

"Is that even possible?" I laugh.

"I don't know but I sure can't feel my hand at the moment so I'm kinda worried…"

"Oh shut up."

I release my death grip but I quickly snuggle closer to his body, staring out the window. I see Ashley looking everywhere but the window, attempting to ignore the storm.The plane bucks angrily and Ashley jumps.

My shoulder starts to ache and I unconsciously place my hand over the bullet wound. I was lucky. The bullet hadn't hit my shoulder blade. It had actually gone an inch to the left, saving me from agonizing pain. I frown, thinking of Leon. He had dealt with that type of pain. I had on several occasions spotted him holding his shoulder with his jaw clenched. And I'd never offered him any help…

I realize Leon's asleep by the gently rise and fall of his chest and the storm isn't offering any turbulence. I glance back up at Trent. Could I make it up there even with the constant threat of getting thrown into the ceiling because of the storm?

"Don't," Jill mumbles to me. I look over at her.

"What?"

"I said don't. For now we need to make him think we're on his side. I know you want to kick his ass. I do to. But for now, we need to act like we're good little boys and girls and follow his orders."

I nod my head faintly, realizing that she was right. The plane jerks again, as if to accent what she said. Leon shifts uncomfortably.

"I'm never gonna get any sleep am I?" he mutters.

I smile and wrap my arms around his torso. "Probably not. You don't deserve sleep, Mr. I-got-hit-by-shrapnel-and-was-unconscious-for-six-hours."

"Thanks, cause, you know, that wasn't days ago," he chuckles, placing his arm around my shoulders.

"Oh well. You should've slept on the way here. Like me," I retort.

He shakes his head, mumbling, "I'll never win against you, will I?"

"Nope. I always win. Especially against guys. I guess I just have that ability to make guys stop and stare," I boast.

"Doesn't that get annoying?"

"Well, yes, but that's beside the point."  
"No, it's not," he states and I groan.

"Fine, you win," I reply before resting my head against his chest. The plane jolts but I manage to ignore it, even though I tighten my grip on him.

"Would you mind retracting your claws from my ribcage? It's rather comfortable," he offers.

"Nope. You won a conversation and now you have to be uncomfortable."

He laughs again, before leaning back and closing his eyes. I again watch the lightning bolts, ignoring the slight jolts in the plane.

I can no longer see Trent but I have a bad feeling that he can see me. And if that's true, then he just found my one weakness.


	11. Tyrant

Hero

"So, how dangerous will the Paris base be?" Jill asks as we start to exit the plane. "I mean, after Claire and Chris returned from Antarctica, she told us about how heavily guarded the facility was."

"It will be difficult but I have to hope that we can endure the problem. It's not like you guys don't know what to do," I respond, glancing at her. I notice Trent out of the corner of my eye.

Ever since the storm, Trent had been lurking, keeping to the shadows almost completely. I'd decided that he had seen me curled up against Leon, when I'd been seeking warmth and comfort from the only person I considered a friend. That was not good.

"Can we see the Eiffel Tower?" Ashley asks, her eyes glittering happily.

"No," Hunnigan snaps, staring coldly forward. I had a funny feeling that Hunnigan didn't want to be here, going up against a company she didn't even hate. Ashley quickly has a hurt look on her face and I sigh. This was not going to be fun.

We step out of the leer jet and into the cool air. I see Chris messing with the cell phone I'd returned earlier on the plane ride.

"What time is it?" I call out.

With a glance at me, he responds, "4:39 p.m."

I nod lightly. We have plenty of time to prepare and even some relaxation time as well. I glance at Trent again, noticing the bemused look in his eyes as he watches me. I roll my eyes at him in response, though I notice his eyes flicker to Leon.

The fourteen of us head towards the three rental cars Trent must have called for. Leon grabs my arm and stops, stopping me as well.

"What's wrong?" I ask softly, noticing the cold look in his eyes.

"Why has Trent been watching me? I don't think he realizes I notice him stare at me. And it's beginning to creep me out…"

"He's not your type?" I tease, though I'm honestly glad he's noticed. At least he'll be on his toes.

"No. My type is female, tall, Asian, black hair, grey-green eyes, and really badass. Sorry to disappoint you."

I bite my lip, smiling at him again. He truly was amazing. I turn my attention away from him when I hear the others calling for us. As we join them, I notice the dirty looks I'm receiving from Claire and Trent. Great, two enemies…

Leon and I join Chris and Jill in the first rental car. As soon as we climb into the back, Jill turns and looks past us. Her eyes fall on Trent and the others climbing into the other two cars. I see concern on her face.

"Something wrong?" Chris asks. I blink at him silently. Neither Leon nor I had told Chris any of our theories, though Jill might've.

"It's Trent. He's really freakin' me out," Jill admits, turning back around.

Chris pulls out his cell phone and opens it, placing it up against his ear. Jill stares at him in confusion and her eyes widen when Chris says:

"Where are we going Trent? You're going to have to lead the way. I never really paid much attention to Paris itself when Claire and I were here."

Leon looks out over the city, his eyes thoughtful. I feel myself leaning back, feeling the cool glass even through my shirt.

"The Hotel what?"

"The Hôtel Ritz," I state. I'd always liked Paris' luxurious hotels.

Holding one hand over the phone, Chris asks, "He's going on about how I should be able to spot it. What does it look like?"

"Well, it's pretty big. It looks old and has an old design to it and it's light brown," I offer. Just because I like the place doesn't mean I'll remember what it looks like.

He nods and then frowns, asking, "Why don't you just lead, for God's sake?"

Trent answers him before Chris closes his phone, looking unhappy. He glances at Jill and sees her upset face as well.

"Well, aren't we just one bug happy family?" Leon laughs from my side.

--

"I'm just sayin', David. I don't trust her. For all we know, she could be Wesker's whore sent out to kill us. Fuck us over and then go fuck him," John snarls bitterly.

I step away from the door, glaring at the wood as if that will shut the idiot up. Why do they keep saying that? I hate that bastard more than any of them, more than Chris even. Why do they think-

"You okay?" a gentle voice asks.

I turn to see Leon standing behind me. He must've walked over from the cafeteria. I try to ignore the emotions that are flooding through me but I feel a tear fall down my face.

"Ada, they're idiots. They can't look past what's happened to them. They don't even trust me," he whispers, stepping forward.

"You've listened to them before?" I inquire, overlooking the way my voice sounds choked.

"No. I've been standing here for a while. They think you're trying to seduce me so I'll convince them to go to Wesker," he replies.

"How do you know I'm not?" I ask, turning to look at him.

"Would you be crying over his statement if it was true? You've cried in front of me once before and that was about Raccoon. I'm the only one who knows about the G-virus. And I'm the only one you've never actually given a death look to."

I laugh softly but I'm incredibly thankful for his words. "I just don't understand why they think the way they do. Do I really dress like a-"

"No," he starts, "you don't. I think John's jealous that you look great in dresses and tank tops."

I laugh, covering my mouth with my hands so nobody hears us. But Leon just shrugs. "If he hears us, oh well. The jackass needs to learn to shut the hell up about someone he doesn't know. Even if he's so mad that cocktail dresses don't look good on him… Poor guy."

"Oh, I believe it's the giant muscles that make the dress look fail, handsome. You see, I'm lithe and small. Therefore I look good in a dress. He's giant and has muscles that challenge Krauser's. That just makes him look like an elephant trying to get that poor dress," I laugh. This feels really good. I enjoy being able to mess around with Leon.

The door opens and I'm grateful that my eyes are no longer red. John steps out, his eyes widening when he realizes who I am.

"Oh, uh, hi guys. What're you doin' in the hall?" he asks, his eyes still wide. I have an urge to grab my gun and shoot him.

"Going back to our room," Leon says, folding his arms across his chest. "What's wrong? You're acting like somebody just caught you doing something bad."

"Nope. You guys just startled me, is all. Why? What would I be doing?" John challenges, staring at Leon. Leon clenches his fists, the muscles in his arms tightening.

"Let's go, Leon," I purr, brushing my hand over his chest.

As we return for our shared room with Chris and Jill, I find myself clenching my jaw. I have the urge to turn around and shoot the idiot. But I'm not like that anymore, I can't do that.

"You know, I wouldn't mind if you killed the guy. Even when smokers quit smoking they still have that time where they just have to break," Leon mumbles.

I just laugh in response. That's when we here the arguing.

Leon stops and glances at the door, before asking, "You think that's why they wanted a room so far away from everyone else?"

I respond with a nod of my head. Trent had given each of us plenty of euros to pay for our rooms but for some reason Chris and Jill had asked for our room to be away from the rest.

"What are they arguing about?" I inquire, stepping forward.

"Let's go in. If anybody has any reason to be pissed off, it's us anyway," Leon mumbles, stepping forward.

When we enter the room, neither Chris nor Jill acknowledge us, they continue arguing, shouting at one another angrily.

"No, Chris! _You_don't understand! That man is trying to lead us into a trap, I can feel it! Something is very wrong here!"

"I don't understand you! One minute you're defending Trent and the next you're telling me to get rid of him? Jill, he's paying for our 'trip'. He's been helping us all along!"

"Okay, fine! Then why is it that Ada has been doing the exact same thing and yet everybody but me, Leon, and Ashley seems to hate her! She's never even done anything to us! Never! And yet they insult her constantly, they challenge her on whether or not she's trustworthy, and they think she's using Leon! Why? Tell me Chris, because I know you're one of them! You trust that asshole out there more than you do the woman who's been saving all of us!"

Chris becomes silent, glancing over at us. I feel Leon rest his hand on my shoulder but that's not enough.

"I'm leaving," I mumble bitterly and quickly walk out of the room.

--

Leon followed me, trailing me like a lost puppy dog, but I'm grateful. I need the company. He finally catches up to me and we walk silently down the sidewalk.

"Ada, ignore them," Leon says, grabbing onto my arm.

"That's easy for you to say!" I snap bitterly and I feel him flinch. "I'm sorry Leon. I… I just don't understand. Jill's right. They trust Trent more than they do me. And that bothers me… No. It insults me."

He's about to respond when I hear a familiar voice calling after us. It's Ashley and Jill and they're running towards us.

"Guys, we need to get a car," Jill wheezes. I realize she must've sprinted from the building.

"Huh?" is all I can say.

"We're going to the base. The four of us. Fuck the others. If they can't even trust you, then what's the point of working with them?" Ashley explains.

"Four people can't take done an entire base," I warn.

"We don't need to. Ada, you can go after Wesker with Leon. Ashley and I will watch your backs," Jill states, straightening up.

"What about the others?" Leon asks, glancing past her and towards the hotel.

"What about them? Trent has maps, Ada has memory. We'll find it quicker. I just… I can't work with people like that," Jill confesses. "I was treated like that by them for a little while, after I told them that I was a crook."

"And one of the best," I state calmly. "Your father taught you well, even though you never like the skills. That's why you became joined Delta. You wanted to get rid of that past."

"How did you…?"

"I know just about everything on you guys. I used my free time to study the S.T.A.R.S. and their techniques."

Leon suddenly grabs my shoulder, turning me to see several black cars driving towards the hotel.

"Shit!" Jill yelps.

"Ashley, get a car and park in front of the building. We'll get two others to do the came thing. Make sure you can see the entrance we go into," Leon orders.

Ashley nods and takes the keys Leon had managed to grab. I stare at him in confusion.

"I grabbed them before you left the room. I had a funny feeling we'd be out here and then we'd go after Wesker," he states with a shrug. I laugh softly and together with Jill we take off towards the building.

--

"Where are they?" Jill whispers as we crouch near our bedroom.

"I couldn't even find our team," Leon mumbles. "It would be our luck that they would get themselves captured."

"Fuck you, as if you could do any better," a deep voice snarls.

I see Leon's eyes narrow with anger and I have an urge to shoot John for him but I don't. We turn to face the others.

"Oh, shut the hell up," Jill barks, glaring at John. "Claire, Trent, go and get the other cars. Park them near Ashley and wait for us."

A look of distaste flashes over Claire's eyes but she and Trent take off towards the exit to get the cars.

"So where did you three and Ashley disappear to, huh?" Billy asks, glancing at us.

"Outside," Jill snaps. "Now would you guys like to shut up?"

The others become quiet and Chris eyes widen. I see shadows out of the corner of my eye. Soldiers. The U.S.F.U.

"Hello Ada," a somber voice rings out. I turn and stand to face him. It's HUNK, one of Umbrella's top soldiers.

"Why, it's so good to see you," he laughs, stepping forward. He's dressed like he typically would be, in his dark grey fatigues and his black gas mask. "What have you been up to, since Raccoon City?"

I can feel the others watching me in confusion and I know Leon's watching me as well. This worries me. If I can't play HUNK's game correctly, he'll kill us all. But I can't betray Leon; never again can I betray him.

"What, cat got your tongue?" he growls, suddenly lifting his automatic. It's pointed to my left. Pointed at John.

Leon suddenly stands up next to me and HUNK looks at him, having to turn his head to see out of the gas mask's eye pieces. Jill stands as well and she whispers, "We'll have to find cover."

"We have to get out of the hotel," I mutter. "If we have a fire fight in here, the cops will be alerted immediately. We have to get out of here and lead them away."

Jill nods sharply and the others stand as well. HUNK laughs.

"How cute. You think you can take my soldiers Ada?"

"I have before, have I not? I do remember making you cry like a little girl, after all," I retort.

The second HUNK points his gun at me, Leon throws his knife. With a loud noise, the eight inch blade finds itself imbedded in HUNK's vest. But it buys us enough time. As a group we take off down the hall, heading for the front doors. HUNK's team had been in the rooms, searching. I freeze, nearly getting trample. Leon, like usual, stops with me.

"The bear?" he asks, breathing calmly. He sure has changed.

I nod. I'm about to start back when I see him reach into his pocket and pull something out. It's a little bear and a key. I look at him and he smirks, grabbing my arm, and muttering to thank him later.

We manage to get out of the building when I hear a scream. Not a human scream though. The others are in the car and I unconsciously motion for them to leave. Ashley violently shakes her head but Hunnigan forces her to leave.

"Why do you have to play hero?" Leon asks, looking down the street.

The thing is a tyrant, an older species called the Hypnos tyrant. Incredibly primal looking and hunched over to walk like a gorilla, this thing's muscles are massive and grotesque. Its teeth are long and needle like and they're dripping saliva.

Leon pulls out his magnum and I almost want to laugh. This was a terrible idea. The thing walks through traffic and knocks cars away with an unnatural ease.

"Sorry?"

"You're not sorry."

"No, not really."

He laughs finally, before the creature lunges at us, giant claws spread wide to catch us in its grip.

I cartwheel out of the way and I see Leon roll away from the creature as well. Surprisingly for its size it manages to stop and turn on us, roaring angrily. More like screaming really. I yelp, covering my ears and I see Leon and civilians doing to same. The creature stops but my head is killing me and I can't focus. It seems to grin as it starts towards me, until three loud booms echo down the street and tear massive holes in the creature's side.

It screams again and I see it go for the now fallen Leon. I stumble to my feet, knowing my gun isn't going to do half the damage his .357 did. Instead I sprint over to Leon's side and he gives me the magnum. As the creature opens its mouth to scream I pull the trigger three times, watching the monster's throat explode in a shower of gore.

Leon stumbles to his feet, pulling out a speed loader. I take it and reload quickly. Then I see Leon. He collapses to the ground suddenly.

"Leon!" I cry, falling to my knees at his side. He's unconscious. What happened?

The tyrant turns its attention towards me and bares its still huge fangs, even though his front ones had been ruined by the gun. It steps forward, beady eyes focusing on my unconscious comrade. I tense, pointing the gun at the creature.

"Don't even think about it," I hiss.

Of course, it does, so I pull the trigger, flinching at the recoil that sends tremors to my shoulder, which begins to ache again. Three new holes appear on the creature's chest and face and it growls through its still ruined throat. I hear sirens and I realize that the police and ambulances are showing up. Not good.

I kneel next to Leon, watching the creature pace around us hungrily. Its eyes almost always go straight to Leon, the easy catch of us.

"Leon, wake up! Please wake up!" I order, shaking his shoulder. I don't even know what's wrong! I can't find anything unless his arm is hurting. But he's dealt with worse. The scream maybe?

The creature lunges, stopping right next to me and resting its monstrous claws on Leon's back. It looks at me in triumph.

Even though my heart's pounding and my hands are shaking, I aim the magnum at the creature and place three new rounds into its head. It silently flails, pulling away from Leon as it tries to escape the pain. I look at the cops, realizing they'd had shotguns. They must've been warned about the creature.

"Le tirer!" I cry, hoping they hear me. (Shoot it!)

One of them must've heard me because he starts shouting at the others and soon shotgun shells and shrapnel imbed themselves into the creature. The beast falls over, gurgling as it dies. I feel my body relax but I turn my attention to Leon, feeling his skin. It's feverish. What's going on here?!

A police officer walks to me, his eyes wide. He softly asks, "Madame? Êtes-vous bien? Est-il bien?" (Ma'am? Are you okay? Is he okay?)

"Oui, nous sommes très bien. Merci. Pouvez-vous voir un entraînement de voitures noir vers nous, dirigeant ?" I whisper in response, gently laying my hands on Leon's back. (Yes, we fine. Thank you. Can you see any black cars driving towards us, officer?)

The young cop looks around, before he shakes his head at my again. "Merci," I mumble to him. (Thank you.)

Where did HUNK and his team go? I see the officer leave, apparently still frightened of the creature lying near us. I hear somebody shouting my name loudly. A small figure crouches down at my side.

"Ada, what happened?" Ashley asks.

I shake my head in response and Ashley moves around to his other side. Like we did for him after the accident, we lift his heavy body up and start to carry it down the street towards the waiting cars.

A/N: Okay, firstly I want to apologize to all those who speak French and notice problems in the French above. I had to use a translator, since I don't know French, and I'm not certain if that stuff is correct or not. Secondly, I want to warn you guys that I won't be updating until Sunday. I'm not going to be around a computer tomorrow and I'm not sure about Saturday.


	12. Umbrella Facility

Hero

I sit unblinking in the passenger's seat of Ashley's car, gazing at the Paris streets as she drives. Leon is in the back seat, unconscious, but his heartbeat and breathing were steady the last time I checked. Because of his sudden collapse and my inability to find out what's wrong, I've been unable to do much but tell Ashley to follow the others. I'm trying my best to come up with reasons why Leon would collapse like he did. However, I still feel like I've failed the only person who bothered to protect me.

I see Ashley glance over at me every now and then, her eyes concerned but her face stoic, before she looks back at the streets. She's following the others but because Claire and Trent have decided to drive as slowly as possible, she has no trouble keeping up with them.

When the others had spotted Ashley and I carrying Leon to them, they'd looked ready to murder me as I was the one who had hurt him. Nobody seemed to acknowledge the monster we'd fought.

I'm drawn from my thoughts by a soft groan from the back seat and I realize that Leon is finally waking. I turn around in my seat and I see Leon lift himself into a sitting position.

"Are you feeling okay?" I ask softly, my heart beating loudly in my chest.

"I feel like somebody dropped a rock on my head," he admits softly. I smile sympathetically when Ashley suddenly stops the car, jolting me forward. I grab onto my chair, stopping my body before my side smashes into the dashboard.

"What was that all about?" I snap angrily.

"We're here," she explains.

I glance up and I see a familiar white building looming at our right. It's stark white and has a huge Umbrella symbol on it. I see through the sliding glass doors and I notice a huge white lobby.

"What about the others?" Leon asks, looking at the two cars that disappear down the street.

"I don't think I want to work with them," Ashley admits and the three of us climb out of the car. "There's something about them that makes me uncomfortable."

I walk to the building and I find my eyes drawn to the symbol that had caused us so much hell. Leon joins me but I hear the slight tremor to his breathing. I look at him and I see tired eyes and an exhausted man standing at my side. He's been hurt way too many times tonight. What I'm about to say is extremely selfish, but I don't care.

"You can't come with us," I finally whisper to him.

The look on his face is of shock and anger and I feel regret for my statement. But I cannot watch this man get hurt again.

"And why not?" he snaps suddenly, the first time he's shown anger to me since we began working together again.

I shake my head, mumbling, "You're too-"

He cuts me off, snapping, "Weak? What about when I walked an entire lab over with a bullet in my shoulder? Was I too weak than too? Do you expect me to sit back and watch you and Ashley go up against the goddamned corporation that caused me so much hell?! I'm not! I can't just sit passively by while everybody else puts their lives in danger!"

"You want to know why?!" I finally snap, staring at him. "Because I can't watch you get hurt again! For six damned years I've watched you take a bullet for me, fight an eight foot monster to protect me, and recently I haven't been able to close my eyes without seeing you getting crushed by Mendez or blocking me from getting killed by shrapnel! I cannot watch you die for me, Leon! I just can't!"

I hear squealing tires and I lift my head to see the others pulling up behind our parked car. They climb out and join the three of us. Trent's eyes instantly fall on me and a sly grin creeps its way onto his face. He's seen our anger and he can tell we've been arguing.

"We didn't notice you guys disappeared until Chris said something. Why did you stop in front of this building?" he asks, his eyes flicking between Leon and me.

I walk away from Leon and I point at the Umbrella symbol. I force myself to ignore the hurt in Leon's eyes, since I'd walked away before he could say anything, but I feel myself falling back to my 'cold-hearted bitch' attitude.

Trent's eyes widen with glee at the sight of the symbol and I flinch. I shouldn't have pointed out the symbol to the madman. He's more than likely excited over the idea of taking these people to their deaths. And it's just so he can get revenge for his parents.

Suddenly David notices Leon. I can tell he's looking at the fact that Leon looks like he just got hit by a Mac truck and decided he was going to walk around for a little while longer.

"You shouldn't be going in there until Rebecca-" the British man starts.

"Rebecca's going to do nothing. I'm going home. Half of you guys either want me dead or worse so I'll leave and never bother you again," he snarls and without looking at me or anyone else, he takes off down the sidewalk.

The others stare after him in shock and I see Claire shoot me a triumphant look. John mumbles good riddance and I force myself to ignore the tingling in my fingers that makes me want to grab my gun.

Without another word, we head into the building. Inside the lobby are two elevators on the far back wall. On either side of these two elevators are two hallways. I don't wait for the others as I head down the left hallway. This is the hall that Wesker always used when he brought me here and forced me to wait for him in the lobby. And the faster I'm out of here, the better.

The hall is empty except a single door. I head straight for it, though all I can seem to see is Leon's hurt look. The door doesn't even seem to be there and I try to clear the mental image by violently shaking my head.

I stop in front of the door, forcing myself to enter calmly. I fear facing Wesker alone. He's different than most bio-weapons and, even with his human looks, he's often times much more ruthless than the typical monster.

The room is empty except for a wall of computers, not unlike Wesker's personal hideaway room, and a letter on the computer desk. The computers blink a warning but I'm more concerned with the letter. Tricking people is Wesker's style and I was stupid to even think he'd be here.

I head over and scoop up the envelope and without a moments hesitation I tear the paper open and remove the letter. Several sentences are scrawled on a fancy sheet of paper in Wesker's handwriting. I stand back, ignoring the blinking lights flashing on the computer and read:

**Unfortunate that Leon isn't going to join you in death, dear. However, I do believe he is much more intelligent than I originally thought. Perhaps I even have a proposition for our fugitive friend. You, however, will just have to enjoy your meeting with the Bio-Pods. You were, after all, foolish to believe I was going to stay here.**

I look up at the computers and see a warning that bio-weapons had been released. I swallow thickly and drop the letter. I hear it rustle softly against the ground but I'm struck by a stench. It smells of decay and other rotten stenches and I flinch, stopping my gag reflex.

I hear a plopping sound and my eyes trail up to the ceiling where I don't see pale tiles that match the walls. Instead I see huge _things _clinging to the ceiling. There are two of them and they're large globs that are crawling about. They're both a tan color but I see blue and purple veins crawling about underneath the surface. One creature turns and looks at me, I think. I can't see any eyes but I do see a large opening where long, needle-like teeth protrude. I hear a suctioning noise and the creatures fall from the ceiling, landing about a foot away from me.

Long tendrils reach out for me and I stumble back. I would've been safe had I not fallen against the wall. I press my back against the wall while my right hand pulls the .357 out. I start to aim when the creature lunges faster than I could've imagined and _sucks _me into its body. A burning sensation instantly covers my bare skin and I can smell my clothes burning. I grip the magnum as tight as possible and I pull the trigger. The gun bucks in my hands and I feel it slip away but the creature doesn't let go of me.

As long tendrils attempt to get into my ears and mouth I can't believe that this is how I'm going to die. I'm going to be eaten by a blob monster because I fell for Wesker's stupid tricks. I find myself thinking of what the letter had said.

A loud boom manages to reach me but it's too late. I feel the creature tightening it's grip on me and the last thing I find myself thinking of is Leon. Then all I know is darkness and heat.  
--

_"Leon, long time no see," I purr as I take my sunglasses off. His eyes aren't shocked by any means but he does seem to mellow down a bit._

_"Ada. So it is true," he says, his eyes cold as he watches me._

_"True? About what?" I playfully ask._

_"You, workin' with Wesker," he replies._

_"I see you've been doing your homework," I state, dropping my sunglasses. I see the warning flash lightly but Leon is focused on me so he doesn't notice it._

_"Why, Ada?" he asks. He's staying stoic but I see emotions in his eyes that I don't want to recognize. _

_"What's it to you?" I calmly ask, blinking at him. The warning blinks faster._

_"Why are you here? Why did you show up like this?" he questions. Again with the emotions in his eyes._

_Before I have to respond the glasses explode and I feel… Heat? Why would I feel heat from a flash?_

_--_  
Heat encases me and it's not the burning sensation that the creatures had been causing. No, this is definitely from fire. I struggle in the creatures grip in an attempt to get away from the fire. Tendrils of the creature have managed to find their ways into my mouth and ears and I struggle violently to get them out.

I pull and tug the things away from me, the burning sensation suddenly worse but I don't care. I hear somebody shout my name. I recognize that somebody immediately.

"Leon!" I shout back, pushing and pulling my way out of the creature.

Suddenly, I'm pulled away from the creature and I stumble out, falling into a set of arms that instantly hug me to the man they belong to. I find myself examining the destroyed room and I see the creature catch itself on fire by crawling backwards into the blaze. I want to laugh but the heat is suddenly too much.

Strong arms pull me safely away from the fire and out of the room, gently setting me down in the hall. I savor the sweet, stale air breathing in as much as possible. Then the taste from the creature hits me and I dry heave, since I'd been without food and drink for quite a long time. I feel a comforting hand on my back, gently rubbing.

"You... You came...back," I gasp, looking up at Leon. His eyes are concerned but he still smiles faintly.

"I couldn't leave you to face Wesker alone..." he admits softly. "And the others left the building when the fire started. I knew something was wrong and then I saw that thing back there... I didn't see you so I thought the worst had happened..."  
I settle onto my knees while he stands and lifts me up into his arms, carrying me bridal style out of the building.

The creature's burning apparently didn't do too much since my skin looks the same as normal and my clothes are fine. Did I imagine the burning?

As soon as we're out of the building, the others look up to see us as Leon sets me back on my feet. I realize that had I managed to grab the magnum before Leon had pulled me to safety I would've shot each and every one of them, somehow. Unfortunately, the gun had not been on my mind when Leon had rescued me.

"Are you okay?" David asks with concern in his eyes. Why is he concerned?

"We had to get out of there before it was too late," Trent says calmly, though I can see through the lie.

"Bullshit," I hear Leon growl but only I can hear it.

John glares at Leon, snapping, "Didn't you leave?"

Leon glares back with his arms crossed over his chest and Ashley steps forward. I see the concern in her eyes and I have a funny feeling that she hadn't wanted to leave me behind. At least I can be assured that Leon and Ashley are still on my side. And for some reason David apparently is to…

"It was a trap," I finally mumble, breathing as easily as possible. My chest still hurts from not having much air in that _thing._

"What kind of a trap?" Claire asks, folding her arms over her chest. I see Leon's arms drop to his sides after she copies him.

"A trap for me," I snap, anger replacing pain.

She opens her mouth to respond but Leon snarls, "Would you just shut up?"

Everybody, including me, gives him a shocked look but he looks down at me, expecting an explanation about the trap.

"Wesker knew we were coming so he left these things to attack me. The end," I explain, trying to keep on my feet. The pain from the creature and the pain of not having any food or drink have started to wear me down.

"So, we'll have to find Wesker again," Trent offers, shrugging bluntly.

Now I really want to hurt him.

"First we have to find a place to sleep," Chris states, glancing around.

"We'll just have to sleep in the cars," Jill mumbles before taking off towards the cars.

Ashley goes to her car and Leon moves forward with me, staying at my side calmly. I wonder if it's because of my weakness or if he's just back to being the man who'd always been there to save my life. Either way, I'm glad for the company.

In the car, with Leon up front and me lying in the back, I see Ashley rubbing her eyes. We're all starting to feel the weight of the mission, I realize. But she looks at Leon.

"Why did you fall unconscious earlier?" she asks, starting the car.

"I don't remember," he mumbles, glancing at her.

"You don't?" she asks, following Jill and Trent's cars as they take off down the street.

He shakes his head, replying, "I only remember the tyrant. Then, nothing. Why?"

"Because…"

"Because?"

"I think you were drugged!" she finally exclaims. "I don't know how but when we got out of the car you looked really tired which usually only happens if you've been drugged. I don't know who or how or why but I think you were."

"But he was always with us," I state, even though my voice comes out as a whisper.

"I know… That's why I'm trying to figure-"

She's cut off by a van smashing into Jill's car and sending it spiraling down the street. I sit up too fast and I feel dizzy instantly but I don't honestly care. All I know is when I look at our friend's car I see blood spilling out of the shattered vehicle.

A/N: I'm sorry if this chapter is a little odd. My computer kept screwing up so I ended up writing this thing like 6 times. I might have gotten some of it mixed up.


	13. Crashes

Hero

Ashley cries out when she spots what I'd been focused on and Leon practically falls out of the car. At first I'm worried and confused at what he intends to do but I see him and Barry holding Chris back from running to the car. I also see something bright appear out of the corner of my eye. Jill's car has ignited in flames.

"We have to do something!" I hear Claire shout. Ashley and I climb out of the car and join Carlos, David, and John.

"Let me go!" Chris shouts, struggling against the two men keeping him away from the car.

"Calm down Chris! You can't go over there! We'll have to find a different way to get them out," Barry responds.

Ashley suddenly grabs my arm and points. I see Hunnigan standing nearby, her eyes wide with shock at the van that had struck Jill's car. Men in black fatigues and masks are climbing out, holding M16s and M4s.

"We have a problem, guys," David states, pointing a 9mm at the men.

"Okay, look. Barry and I will get Jill, Rebecca, and Billy to safety. Chris, help the others stop those guys," Carlos orders, taking charge immediately. Leon nods at Carlos in agreement and points Chris in the direction of the fight that's going to take place. Then the blond joins Ashley and me.

"I don't have a gun," I mumble softly. Ashley pulls hers out of her pocket and is about to hand it to me when Leon pushes us both down and I hear bullets smacking into glass. They're after us.

Ashley tosses me her gun and I roll into a crouch, aiming my gun at the men who are starting towards us. One lifts his hand and motions towards me. I feel Leon at my side and I can see all the questioning glances being thrown at me from the others.

"Agent Wong?" the man asks, pulling his mask off. "I didn't recognize you at first. My apologies."

I stare at him. Cropped brown hair, blue eyes, about 5'10''. I recognize him. I see Hunnigan stepping around and one of the soldiers is following her with his gun.

"We have to get out of here, Davis. The U.S.F.U. will be here soon. Grab her and let's go," one of the men next to the van growls.

Davis? I recognize that name too… Who is he?

"Who are you?" Hunnigan suddenly asks, staring icily at the man.

I see Carlos and Barry inching their way towards the car, faces pale and slick with sweat. I want to yell at them to hurry but I sit still and focus on Davis. Who is he?

"Nobody you want to fight, lady," Davis remarks. "Rosie, stop those ones over there. Find out if there are any survivors in the car, Johnny. Wong, get over here."

I glare at him, trying to remember who he is when I see two soldiers walk over to Jill's car. Chris is about to step forward but David and John reach out and grab his shoulders. Carlos and Barry are shoved away with the woman's M16.

Johnny steps forward, shining his light into the car when a thundering crack explodes from within the car and Johnny stumbles away, blood oozing out of his chest. I see Jill, Rebecca, and Billy scramble out of the car, their hair and clothes singed and their skin covered in ash.

"What the fuck is going on?!" Jill cries, though she coughs right after word. In a second Chris is there comforting her while Rebecca and Billy stumble back over to join the team. Davis and Rosie run over to their comrades while the rest of their team watches us.

"Who are these assholes?" Claire asks me after walking over and joining Leon and me and for once I see some type of trust in her eyes. "How do they know you and what do they want?"

"I…I can't remember," I admit softly.

"We'll have to get away from them," John says, joining us as well. Soon the entire team has formed a circle around Leon and me. "Anybody got any ideas?"

"We have to get Jill and Chris," Carlos snaps, glancing at where the two were now being held at gun-point to stay still.

"That's definitely easier said than done," Ashley scoffs.

I see Hunnigan look away, her eyes narrowed calmly before she says, "Not if somebody leads them away."

"What?" John and Trent ask.

"How?" is everybody else's question.

"If I can get their attention, I can lead them away. They can't chase me in their car so I have a chance."

I look at Hunnigan, dressed like she had been the first time I'd met her. Grey suit with a grey skirt and high heels. She looks over at me.

"I can do it. I used to run to work in these heels," she states bluntly.

I frown but I look at Leon while I state, "You need something to grab their attention."

Leon's eyes widen but he knows that we have to do this or we're all dead. He reaches into his pocket and pulls out the bear and keys. I take it from him.

"Cute. What are we gonna do, throw it at them and hope it kills them all?" John laughs. I glare at him and then I drag my eyes away from the huge man and look at Leon.

"We can't let them have it so we'll have to get rid of it without them seeing. Then Hunnigan can run away," I state calmly.

He sighs and nods. I can see his reluctance to send somebody to their death but Hunnigan decided to do this and from the look on her face I'm certain she's going to go through with it.

"What's in there?" Rebecca asks but I ignore her and stand. Leon and Hunnigan stand as well. The others stay crouched near our feet.

"Davis," I snap, clutching the bear tightly.

He turns and glares at me before walking over calmly. "So, Agent Wong, what's going on? Why are you with these idiots?"

I shrug and I extend my right arm, dangling the bear in his face. "You want the G-virus, right? And you want to take it back to our boss, right? Well, here you go. All you have to do is let us go."

He laughs, shaking his head at my offer. I become nervous when he looks at me coldly and says, "Sorry, no deal. First of all, the boss wants you back. Second of all, the G-virus isn't even in there."

"Oh really?" I ask, hoping he realizes that it's for both of his statements. I open the bear and out falls the small purple sample of the G-virus. It lands in my hand and even though it's truly an evil creation, it glitters in the lights. "Because I'm pretty certain that _this _is the virus. Or," I dangle the virus between two fingers, threatening to drop it, "if it's not the virus, I could always drop it right here."

He takes a step back, before a sly smirk appears on his face. "Okay, here's the deal. You and the virus come with us and your friends go free."

How did I know he was going to say that? As I drop the virus back into the bear I would've nodded but suddenly several no's echo from behind.

"You can't have her," David snaps, standing. Leon gives him a look but he turns his attention to Hunnigan. She nods at him and I hand her the bear with the virus inside.

"Okay," I whisper, "right before you're about to run give me the virus. Take the bear and run as fast as you can in the direction of the airport. We're going back to America to find another base. Ready?"

I see Hunnigan tense up and Davis' eyes flicker to her. Hunnigan's hand is right next to mine and I feel her pass the virus, hidden by the shadows that extend over us. I grip the vial tightly and with a single mumble of good luck, Hunnigan sprints away and past Jill and Chris and she disappears behind the ruined car.

Davis shouts at his team to follow her and he shoots me one last glance before following suit. Chris and Jill walk over to us.

"What's she doing?!" Chris shouts, staring after the soldiers.

"She bought us some time, let's get to the airport," Trent orders.

--

Leon was extremely quiet the entire drive here. His eyes were clouded and he seemed focused on something else. I still feel guilty of sending Hunnigan to her death. Then again, I'd been no better during the drive. I'd sat staring unemotionally out the window in hopes that nobody would speak to me.

"We can't wait for her," Trent says softly, breaking me from my thoughts.

"I know," Leon responds, looking silently away.

"There's a chance," I offer weakly, placing my hand on his shoulder. "They might not kill her in hopes of having a bargaining tool."  
"Who are they?" he asks sharply, ignoring my comments on Hunnigan.

"I told you guys. I can't remember," I remark, shocked by his sudden cold attitude.

"But you remember them."

"Yes."

He shakes his head and walks away. I don't even bother trying to bother him. Instead I stay behind, watching everyone board the plane. How easy it would be to break away and stay in Paris the rest of my life. That would be nice. I like the city and I know French.

I step silently away, glancing down the streets that lead to the airport. How nice it would be to finally escape… No. Not really. Not without Leon at least.

I sigh sadly, walking to the plane without even really paying attention. The second I'm on the doors close and I sit in the very back on the right side of the plane, away from everyone. I stare blankly at the seat in front of me, tracing the patterns with my eyes.

I'm about to fall asleep when somebody sits down in the seat next to me. I glance over at Jill, her eyes angry and her face reddened.

"What's wrong?" I ask, looking towards the front where Chris sits next to Barry and Carlos. Then I see Claire and Ashley speaking to Leon and I tear my gaze away.

"It's Chris," she admits softly, rubbing at her face.

"What happened?"

"He's babying me! I don't understand why, either! Isn't it funny how I get into a car crash because of some jackass and he's treating me like it's my fault. I wanted to join you guys after I shot the bastard who'd been trying to look into the car. But no. Chris had to stop me. I might've been able to help. All of us versus them! Hunnigan wouldn't have had to sacrifice herself," Jill practically shouts, shaking her head violently.

"He's worried about you," I remind. "He cares about you and he doesn't want you to get hurt."

"Leon doesn't baby you."

I flinch and I look away. My heart actually feels like somebody is squeezing it. "He's just like the others. He doesn't trust me either."

I hear Jill shift in her seat, before she states, "Really? Because he sure has been defending you."

"That's before I decided to challenge his strength and then send his friend to her death."

"What? Rebecca said she chose to go."

"She did. But I gave her the thing that condemned her."

"The bear?"

"There was a virus in the bear that I took out. They were after the virus so Hunnigan took the bear. You saw her with it?"

"Yeah, but I wasn't certain what it was."

I look away, but Jill continues, her voice light as she states, "Okay, so you did such. He was defending you when I walked by him. Claire kept trying to convince him that you were evil or some shit like that. He kept saying that you weren't and that you'd been helping us the entire time."

"But it was my fault any of you came."

"Not really… We would've hunted him down eventually. Sadly, that's all that Chris does anymore. He doesn't really sleep and we have to force him to eat. That's why he was so willing to join you four."

I still frown when somebody sits down on my other side. Ashley.

"Would you mind going up there and kicking Claire in the face? She's really annoying," the young woman remarks, glaring coldly towards Claire.

"No."

"Why not? What's wrong? You've been acting odd. Is it Hunnigan? I know you feel like you sent her to her death but Hunnigan felt like she'd done nothing to help the entire time. She told me when we'd entered the building and noticed you were gone," Ashley states, looking at me calmly.

I just look away and close my eyes. I hear the Ashley sigh and walk away but Jill must've fallen asleep. She doesn't leave even as I start to fall asleep as well.

--

I wake to somebody shaking my shoulder. At first I think it's Leon but instead it's David.

"The others want to talk to you," he admits softly. "I tried to convince them to leave you alone but it didn't work. Sorry."  
What's with him? Why has he… No way does he have a crush on me. Oh but I recognize that look.

I shake my head and stumble to my feet. The others instantly look at me, except Leon. He's sitting near Ashley but he looks infuriated. Maybe…

"Ah, how kind of you to join us, Ada," Trent chuckles. Jill glares at him.

"What's this all about?" I ask, though I'm still groggy. I'm certain I wasn't asleep for more than a few minutes with the way I feel.

"Ada… We think you should leave when we hit America," Chris states. I stare at him in shock. "It's for your own good. The cops are after you, as well as the government. If you stick with us, you'll be caught."

"I'll take my chances," I reply, looking at Trent, who smiles at me in return.

"Well, see, we don't want to take the chances," Chris mumbles, shrinking away.

"In other words, we don't want to die for some traitorous bitch," Claire snaps. So much for the trust she'd had earlier.

I stare at them and other than Jill, Ashley, David, and Leon they all look the same. They want me gone.

"Fine," I whisper. "Fine."

I walk back to the back but before I can make it to my seat, Leon stands. I can tell it's him because he's there at my shoulder in a second. We don't look at one another. Instead we sit down and stare forward.

After a little while the other three walk over and join us. Jill lays her hand on my shoulder.

"The five of us are going to leave the second we get off the plane. We'll go after Wesker alone."

I look at her in confusion, asking, "Why? Why would you work with a traitor?"

"You're no traitor," is Ashley's response. Jill and David nod their heads in agreement.

I sigh softly, leaning back in my seat. "Thank you. It's safer anyway. Now that there are less people, I mean."

The others nod in agreement and we settle back. This would be interesting.

--

About an hour later I can't fall asleep. Ashley and Jill had almost instantly fallen asleep and David was reading a book. I can't tell what Leon's doing until he gently touches my shoulder. I look at him hopefully.

"Can we talk?" he asks softly. He motions to the seats next to us, which form the left row of the seats in the plane. I nod and as we move, I notice David watching us curiously. Great…

"I'm sorry," he finally mumbles as we sit across from one another. "I shouldn't have treated you like I have been…"

"It's okay," I promise. "I shouldn't have… I don't know. I shouldn't have done a lot…"

He laughs softly and I smirk. He finally states, "I just didn't want anybody else to die. But her doing what she did was not your choice. I shouldn't have blamed you. And… Was Birkin really eight feet tall?"

I laugh at the question. Where did that come from? "I think so. I don't know. The other one might have been that tall after…"

I shut up and a somber silence falls over us. I always have to bring that up don't I?

Then he says something that shocks me. "Did you grab that rocket launcher on purpose? I mean, you said almost the exact same thing both times…"

"Are you questioning me helping you? I mean, I could just stop throwing rocket launchers to you and let you fight the monster on your own. I bet that would be fun," I respond. This feels nice.

He laughs again, leaning back. I can't help but laugh as well, until the plane banks violently. Leon looks back and I see everyone else waking up.

"What the fuck?!" John shouts angrily.

Suddenly Leon looks frightened and he snaps, "We're loosing altitude!"

I could feel it too. My ears were attempting to match the pressure on the outside but suddenly the plane jerks upwards again.

"What's going on?!" Chris shouts.

Jill's staring at Trent with hatred burning in her eyes. Unfortunately, Trent looks worried as well. Then the plane shuts off.

Claire, John, Trent, Ashley, and Carlos drop into a panic when the soft growl from the plane disappears. Leon shouts as loud as possible for everyone to sit in the back and hang on. I look around for anything that could be used to save us but no air masks or anything fall out.

Barry wrestles John and Carlos into the back, forcing them to sit down and Chris calms Claire. Ashley is breathing quickly but she's calmed herself. Trent is being comforted by David.

Then we hit the freezing Atlantic and things go dark.

--

Jill wakes us up by screaming something. I glance around and I see that the pilot is quite dead. Half of the plane has been filled with water and we're only safe for a couple seconds. The pilot floats near the front of the plane, blood pooling around him.

"Shit… You okay?" Leon asks. I nod. "We must not have been very far up. We would've been hurt pretty badly had we been really high up…"

I nod again, staring over at the S.T.A.R.S., Ashley, Billy, and Trent. "We have to get out of here…"

"Where will we go? We're in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean, in case you've forgot," Claire snaps.

"At least I'm thinking of a way to escape. So shut up and keep quiet for five seconds. Let the big kids talk, okay?"

"Okay, Trent, are there any flares on this thing?" Leon asks. Trent pulls a flare gun and a flare from his pocket.

"Let me see them," Leon orders. Trent passes them over to me and I hand them to Leon. He quickly loads the gun. "Okay. Here's the plan. The President more than likely has boats patrolling the waters. We'll climb out of the plane through the door and sit on this thing. We'll have to keep close to keep warm and the plane going to continue sinking. We'll have to hope that luck is on our side."

Everybody nods and Leon picks himself up. He steps over to the door and looks at us as we join him. The plane groans loudly as more water finds its way inside.

Chris holds up three fingers and Leon nods. As Chris counts down, I step forward. I'm faster than Leon, after all.

One. Leon opens the door and we climb out. Luckily the door hasn't reached the water yet and we're not soaked. As we settle ourselves onto the plane and John closes the door, Leon shoots the flare into the sky. The red light flashes brightly as night turns to dawn.

Leon, Jill, Ashley, David, and I find ourselves huddled alone while the others turn into a large ball of living flesh. Chris gives Jill a sad look but he doesn't make an attempt to move.

I feel Leon wrap his arms tightly around me and Ashley presses her shoulder to mine. I'm in the center. For some reason they've decided to protect me. But I don't miss the look David shoots Leon. Jealousy is obvious.

"What's that?" Ashley asks. I soon here it too. It's a loud roaring and Leon lifts his head.

"It's a Navy boat!" Jill cries happily. The ship stops and I see three smaller boats making their way towards us.

"Isn't that a battleship?" I ask in shock.

Leon nods and tightens his grip on me. The three smaller boats stop and several men stand up.

"What happened?" one shouts.

"Something went wrong and we crashed," Trent explains.

The man nods. "Come on, we'll take you back to the ship. Then we can take you home."

The thirteen of us climb onto the boats though Leon is shielding me. He's worried they'll recognize me. Too late though.

"Aren't you Ashley Graham?!" the man who spoke earlier asks.

Ashley nods and says, "I'll explain later, once we're on board."

"Of course," the man agrees and we start towards the boat.

I press myself up against Leon and he leans back up against me. Guess we're going to find out why the President is still hunting us down. Guess we're about to find out whether I'm going to be killed or not… Joy.


	14. Boat and White House

Hero

The boat is huge and the men lead us inside immediately. We're led down dark hallways before coming to a set of steel doors. Cafeteria is written in bold, black letters above the doors. The man who'd spoken to us waves his men off and leads us inside.

The cafeteria is huge and white. The steel beneath our feet is covered in old food stains that couldn't have been removed. The salad bar and other bars for food are still open in case somebody wants a midnight snack. There are three rows of tables with five tables in each row.

"We've got plenty of food so go ahead and get yourselves some and then meet me at the last three tables on the right," the man states. Now that I can see him in the light I realize he's wearing night gear with night vision goggles hanging around his neck.

Because of the chill that had settled onto our bones most of us chose soup and returned to the table quickly. Even after everyone starts eating, including me, I see Leon looking calmly at the soldier, who in turn is watching me.

"So, you're her, right?" the man asks. "The woman who supposedly kidnapped the President's daughter and killed two government agents?"

I nod without hesitation but I do ask, "And you are?"

"First Lieutenant James Markland of the United States Marine Corps. I and my team were sent out to find you and Miss Graham. We were told by the President that you were no enemy. The FBI attacked you and nobody's quite certain why."

"So, you're not going to kill her?" Claire asks, wiping her lower lip with the back of her hand.

James looks confused for a second, before Leon asks, "Did he not believe Ashley when she said that the other agent and I were alive?"

"I'm not certain, honestly. You're Agent Leon Kennedy?"

"Yes. Did you know who we are when you rescued us from the crash? You seemed to recognize us and not just Ashley."

"Well, the weird thing is, the President called up the captain of this ship and told him to change coarse, right towards the crash. It was like he knew where you guys were."  
"Why would the President send out a Navy ship? I mean, the Marines are often times used by the President to do specific missions that others can't handle. But why the ship?" I ask.

He shakes his head and I get the idea that he wasn't given any more info on the situation than the thirteen of us already knew.

"We lost somebody… Back in Paris… Could my dad send out a team to search for her?" Ashley asks hopefully.

"Possibly. But right now our job is bringing you home. And that's what we're going to do." He pauses suddenly, looking past us and at the doors. When he speaks he sounds confused and I can tell he doesn't like being confused. "You wanna know what the weirdest thing of this whole mission is? The President ordered the captain to bring very few people with us. My team, the ship maintenance group, the captain, and a few other personnel are the only ones here. Usually these ships are bustling with activity…"

We watch him silently as he stares off again but he soon looks back at us. "I'm gonna leave you folks to enjoy your meal. I'll be back in about half an hour."

We nod at him and he stands. He glances back at Leon, then at me, and then he leaves through the way we came.

"Well, that was weird… Did that guy seem distracted to you guys?" Carlos asks, pushing his plate away. He was one of the few who'd grabbed something other than soup. Then again, after Raccoon he'd become a vegetarian and the only soups there where chicken noodle and some type of beef stuff.

"He's a soldier. No soldier likes to be left in the dark during a mission. Hell, even I don't and I was never a soldier," Rebecca remarks. I see Billy look at her in shock.

"Something's going on here," Jill agrees, sitting back. She has purposely placed herself as far from Chris as possible.

"Your company?" Leon suddenly whispers.

"They… Well, they have no reason to do this… No. It's probably Corporation S. Spencer's corp.," I reply.

"Spencer? As in Ozwell E. Spencer? The motherfucker who started all of this?!" John snaps. "That son of a bitch is still alive?! Isn't he like 100 years old?"

"62 actually," I correct. "He was 26 when he, Marcus, and Ashford founded the corporation. You must remember, he went on the run after Wesker testified against him."  
"Wait, what? Wesker testified against his own boss?" Chris asks.

"Wesker wanted Umbrella. He didn't want Spencer sending people after him. He decided to testify against him and the American government started a manhunt after Spencer to bring him to justice."  
"How do you know this? Why would Wesker tell you?" John asks.

"He didn't tell me. I didn't become one of the world's best spy and assassin combo by being obvious. I hid and listened to him. Then I managed to record him testifying against Spencer. It was Wesker's fault the company fell."

"Why would he want to do that?" Leon asks. "Didn't that make things difficult?"

"_I_made things difficult. With the parasite and the different types of virus he would've found a way to get Umbrella back on the market. But I took the samples and now that I only have the G-virus… Well, we just have to hope that Wesker doesn't get a sample of the parasite."

"He can't get it, right?" Chris asks, leaning over the table.

"I don't…. Saddler," I mumble. Dear God, I'd forgotten about Saddler!

"Who?" Several of them ask but I look at Leon.

"How would he manage to get the parasite out of Saddler? Didn't the island blow him up?" he asks, his eyes angry at the idea of Saddler.

"There's a possibility that Saddler's corpse was not completely destroyed. And that chance is enough for Wesker. That must be why Spencer is helping us. He doesn't want Wesker to win," I finally state, looking around.

The doors open and the First Lieutenant walks in. He glances at us uneasily before he motions for us to follow him. I see several cafeteria workers move up to take the bowls and plates.

"So, when are we getting back to the US?" Barry asks.

"Family?"

"…How did you know?"

"I have family to, friend. I just don't get often to think about them. And we should hit US land by 8 o' clock. It's 3 now. Now. I wanted to talk to you guys about something."

He stops and looks at us. I see the feelings he's trying to suppress surging upwards. He's confused, angry, and plain unhappy.

"What's going on here? Who the hell is giving the President information that the military didn't? I'm not deaf; I heard what you were talking about. Spencer, like the asshole who started Umbrella?"

"The same," I respond. We could use some help and this man seems willing to offer it. "He's more than likely sending the President information on us as we go."

"How would he know?" James asks. This time, everybody looks at me curiously. They want to know too. But I don't answer.

"Satellites," Leon says calmly. "He and Wesker use old Umbrella satellites and patrol the skies. Because there's no way to bring them down without sending up a rocket or finding where they're being controlled from, the government left them alone…"  
"You know about the satellites?" I ask in shock. That's amazing. Very few Umbrella employees even knew about them.

"You find some interesting things when you're forced to sit next to a computer for hours on end while everyone else is on a mission taking down that company," he mumbles. I see Chris look away.

"So, why? Why would he help you guys?" James asks, starting to walk down the hallway again.

"Wesker and Spencer detest one another. Wesker wants us dead so Spencer wants us alive. Wesker wants us to stay in France and Spencer wants us to return to the US," I explain.

"This Wesker guy sounds like an asshole…" James states.

"He is," I agree.

"Well, thanks for explaining that stuff to me. Maybe we'll get more info once we hit mainland. Here's your rooms. You get these four here. Decide who you're going to sleep with, not in the way you're thinking, and go to sleep. But seriously, no screwing around. This is still a military boat. And civilians… agents and spies as you may be, you have to follow my rules."

Everybody promises him even though I see Chris look down. I frown and I walk to his side.

"Maybe she wouldn't be so angry with you if you didn't side with Trent as often as you do. You defend him but not me. Why? Because he offers protection and I don't?"

I don't wait for his answer. Instead I join Leon and Ashley. Jill looks at us. And so does David.

"Um…. Can they sleep in our room too?" Ashley asks.

"But-"

"The others don't want us around so…" Jill states, interrupting Leon.

"Fine," the agent finally agrees, even though I see he didn't really want to.

I see Chris give Jill one last sad look before everyone migrates to the bedroom.

"So…. This wasn't such a great idea," Ashley admits. The room is small as is the bed. But that's okay. I don't think any of us are going to be sleeping.

David and Jill leaned up against the bed while Ashley lay down on it. She groaned about lumps in the bed and I saw the old Ashley peeking out. The one that was annoying and too afraid of using a gun. Leon shook his head and sits down with his back against the door. I join him.

"What do you think the President will do?" I ask, trying to start a conversation.

"God knows… Probably interrogate us, separately," he offers. "I don't think that's the greatest idea in the world…"

"Why?" I ask, confused. Wouldn't it be better if we all had the same story?

"Because I know three people already who are willing to betray you to the government. And one of those three is Trent. He's got money and power. It won't take much to convince some interrogators to…'ignore' some facts."

Maybe I should just kill him," I admit. He looks at me and I smile. "I was kidding, Leon."

I feel my hand grip the pendent underneath my shirt on instinct. For six years, I'd used this simple necklace as a guide. And it was his entire fault it had become a habit. I'd never needed a guide before Raccoon… Why?

"What is that?" he asks.

"What is what?"

"You know what I'm talking about it. You grab it enough times, though I don't think you realize you're doing it…"

"Oh, this?"

I pull the necklace out and I see the shock on his face. As the pendent swirls on the chain, one side a regal eagle and the other side an elegant butterfly, I see recognition replace shock.

"You kept it?" he asks, looking at me.

"Yeah. I liked the butterfly, honestly. I even changed the design a bit for some of my clothes. Like the dress from Spain," I mumble.

Honestly, I'd kept it because it had belonged to him. When he'd given it to me in Raccoon I'd sat for a good twenty minutes just staring at it, as if that would bring him to me and he'd save me from my terrible life.

"Really?" he asks and I hear disbelief in his voice.

"Well, no, but I don't feel like stating the real reason," I respond.

"Okay," he finally mumbles, defeated.

"Fine, I kept it because of you, okay? I wanted at least one way to stay connected to you if one of us died or we both escaped and went our separate ways. I haven't really taken it off, either. It was hidden beneath the straps of my dress in Spain, too. Happy now?"

He looks at me in shock and I feel all of those old emotions tugging at me. I don't want to look at him, to see the emotions that he's able to show and that I can't.

He suddenly pulls me into a hug and I relax, wrapping my arms around his torso. How many times had I dreamt about something like this? Too often…

I don't know how long we sit like this but I do know that Ashley is watching us curiously. I have to wonder what's going on through her head, so I look at her. She smiles at me calmly and I smile back. At least that crush of hers isn't making her hate me as much as Claire…

--

I wake to Leon shaking my shoulder. I move away from him and look at him with foggy eyes. For once, I didn't have dreams about Raccoon or Spain.

"We're here," Leon finally says. He stands and offers me his hand, which I gratefully use to pick myself up.

Our guide isn't waiting for us but Chris mumbles something about us going to the front of the ship on our own. When Leon and I lead down the hallway, Barry jogs over to us and stands beside me.

"I thought you'd like to know, I heard Claire, Trent, and John talking about you," he breathes, looking at me.

"What were they saying?" I ask.

I don't know, honestly. I could barely hear them. They were whispering and I'd gone over to ask if they wanted anything. All I know is they kept saying your name and Leon's name sometimes, too," he states.

"They're doing what you said they would," I whisper to Leon. John had moved behind us. Leon looks forward for a second, before he stops. Everyone stops as well, though a couple of them manage to run into one another.

"I've decided something. Ashley, they won't interrogate you, like they're most likely to do to us. I have a favor to request of you," he calmly says, his eyes cold and emotionless.

"Of course," the girl agrees.

"I need you to get Ada and me to your father. We need to speak to him."

I stare in shock at Leon but Ashley just nods. I see hatred written across several faces, mostly John's. I had a bad feeling about this.

"Why should _you _and that bitch talk to Graham?" John snarls.  
"First of all, she is not a bitch. Second of all, his name is _President _Graham. And third of all, he doesn't need to listen to some civilian's bullshit. Got that?"

Everybody is looking between the two and I see that Leon is ready for John to lunge at him. Which, of course, he does.

John slams into Leon, throwing them both through the doors that lead to the outside. I hear Leon fall against the metal surface and John attempts to hit him but those fights with Krauser apparently improved his ability to fight men ten times his size. He manages to shove John off of him and stands.

"I've had enough shit from you, kid," John snarls.

"I'm not a kid," Leon calmly responds.

I catch Leon's eye and I smirk, stepping through the doors. Everybody follows and I see shock on Jill's face as I snap, "If you can fight Leon, then you can fight me. He hasn't gotten food or sleep in quite a while. Leave him alone and fight me."

"Fuck off, whore! I don't want to fight some bitch who'll-"

He's cut off by Leon tackling him. The huge man lands right in front of me and Leon practically falls to my side.

"I'd really appreciate if you shut up, before I break every bone in both of your arms. Then we'll see how muscle bound you are," I growl.

"What happened here?" James asks, jogging over to us.

"He slipped," I respond. The Lieutenant's eyebrows raise in question but he doesn't ask.

"We'll be transporting you via helicopter over to the White House. The President ordered you all be separated and interrogated separately. But I have a funny idea that you have a different plan," he says, looking at me.

I just smile in response.

--

The helicopter ride was uneventful, though John had kept his big mouth shut for once. I think my threat had actually worked its way into their minds. We were dropped off at an airport where several black FBI cars waited to take us to the White House. I had a grip on Leon's hand the entire time.

I'd been separated from him after our argument. And look at what happened that time. I didn't want to be separated again.

Ashley, Leon, and I were forced to sit in the back of the first FBI car. Ashley looks around, her eyes wide. I nod at her faintly and she inhales deeply.

"When we get to the White House, can I speak to my dad?" Ashley asks.

"We'll have to drop of the others first but-"

"But I really want to see him! I can't wait! Please?!" Ashley begs, sobbing. I can tell the tears are a mixture of real and fake ones but she's doing very good at the fake ones.

"Uh… Okay ma'am. We'll call for your father immediately."

I smile at Ashley encouragingly and she grins back. I just hope they aren't looking in the rear-view mirror. Then again, Leon was forced to sit in the middle, so it's likely he's all they can see.

They drive onto the road that leads directly into the White House, which must've shocked the other cars because they drove right past, continuing on.

"The President's coming out. You can get out and-"

The President appears and I see from the look on his face that he's more than relieved to have Ashley home. She pushes us out of the car and jumps out herself. The FBI agents get out to force us back into the car but Ashley hisses:

"Leave them alone!"

The men step away and Ashley whispers something to the President. He looks at us and then nods. He steps back as Ashley returns to us.

"He'll talk to you guys," she calmly states.

The President orders the FBI away with a booming voice. I smirk faintly. Graham was well known for his sergeant voice. He had after all been in the Army for quite a long time.

We're led through the elegant house and into the Oval Office. I glance at Leon, who looks back down at me.

"Why would we go to the Oval Office?" I ask.

"Away from everyone else," he explains. I nod in understanding.

The President sits down at his desk and looks at us. Ashley must've gone off to find her mother because Leon and I are left alone. We both remain standing.

"Sir, I know that you believe Ada is the enemy… She's not," Leon instantly states.

He sounds steady, though I can hear the exhaustion in his voice. Was Ashley right? Had he been drugged and is now feeling the side-effects. I hadn't heard him sound this tired in a long time.

"So I've heard. Tell me, who are you?" Graham questions.

I frown but I calmly state, "My name is Ada Wong. I'm an international spy and assassin."

"I recognize your name, Miss Wong. But not as a spy," he says. I see Leon glance at me in confusion from the corner of my eye.

I nod at the President and he drops that subject. Instead he calmly asks, "What happened?"

"Leon, Ashley, and I had been basically cheated. The agents who took them to the hospital were not agents. I believe they work for Wesker. Are they still here?"

He nods and I continue, "Great. Anyway, when I'd knocked my doctor unconscious, I'd heard about Leon from some nurses and I went to get him. Ashley and the other agent met up with us and we escaped.

We went to LA and gathered up the ex-S.T.A.R.S. to help us defeat Wesker. Ashley wanted to stay with us and we didn't really bother to argue. We were attacked by a team of Umbrella soldiers called the U.S.F.U. I believe you know about them. We left and hid in a hotel. That's when Ashley called you. We left after the FBI came after us and went to Paris.

The base there was abandoned and we were again attacked by soldiers as we were leaving. I'm not certain who they were. We lost Hunnigan because she sacrificed herself to save us.

When we were returning over the Atlantic our plane crashed and we were rescued by the ship you sent out. And that's basically all that happened."

The President nods, taking in the information I'd had just given him. I'm afraid he doesn't believe but Leon grabs my hand. That calms me a little bit.

"Well, I believe you Miss Wong. Your story checks out. We found your apartment destroyed by the men that were after you and the S.T.A.R.S. house was abandoned. Now, why did you want to speak to me, personally?"

"We needed you to believe us. There are people in our team who would rather have Ada die and they're likely to make stories about her. We needed you to hear the truth," Leon explains.

"How do I know this is the truth?" Graham asks.

"Because it is," Ashley states, leading a blonde woman into the room. "I was there, Daddy. And what gain would I get if I lied with these two?"

"She makes a good point, dear," the woman admits. I'm guessing it's his wife.

"Yes, you do. As I said, I believe you. I don't think Ashley or Agent Kennedy have any reason to lie to me. Okay, I need to make a call and get your friends here. Ashley, why don't you take them to the Grand Foyer to wait for me?"

The blonde nods and leads us back to the entrance. I stand next to Leon, before I realize we have the government on our sides.

I turn to Leon and hug him and before I really know what I'm doing I kiss him, right in front of everyone, and I really don't care who sees.


	15. Leon and Ada hate dolls

Hero

I register two things. The first thing is that Ada is kissing me. And the second thing is Ashley is clapping happily. Apparently she thinks this is some type of drama for her to watch and enjoy. And Ada is really kissing me? I'm not dreaming? Like when Rebecca had interrupted us, I hadn't really gotten the time to remember what the whole thing felt like. But now, with her in my arms and her lips on mine…. Damn it Rebecca…

When we finally break apart I see Ada blush for the first time ever. I would laugh but I'm afraid she'll hurt me if I do.

"That was cute!" Ashley giggles. Ada turns even redder.

"You'll be the same color as your dress from Spain if you're not careful," I warn.

"Just so you know, for saying that I'll probably kill you while you sleep," she responds.

As if on cue, the doors open and in walk the S.T.A.R.S. Claire looks infuriated and I see Ada smirk pleasantly.  
"You truly are cruel," I whisper to her.

"Well, if I wasn't, things just wouldn't be half as fun," she offers, before we turn to see the President walking to us.

"I'm glad you're all here. I wanted to speak to you, mostly Miss Wong, about a Mr. Ozwell E. Spencer," he says, stopping about three feet away from us. "He's the one who called me and told me about the plane. And he told me that you would already know about him by the time you arrived. I'm not certain if he was speaking of all of you or not, though."  
"He probably was speaking about Ada. She was the one who figured out that it was Spencer who started all of this," David states. I clench my fists unconsciously.

"I thought so too. And I knew I recognized you. But I don't want to speak about that around your… friends unless you want me to," he calmly states.

"I'd rather speak about that later, if you wouldn't mind. Just you and me."

I look at her but she stays focused on the President, who nods at her in agreement. Was it the group she works with that she said she would tell me about?

"Spencer is the enemy," Trent suddenly growls.

"I'd decided that. After Miss Wong and Agent Kennedy told me such. I don't understand why he'd help you though. Doesn't he hate you guys? You'd helped destroy Umbrella after all," Graham mumbles, glaring at Trent. Even the President knew not to trust Trent?

"President Graham, we need to stop Wesker. We can deal with Spencer later but we have to stop Wesker. Maybe we can go and Leon, Ashley, and Ada can stay here," Chris offers.

"No! If they're being forced to stay behind I'll stay too!" Jill snaps, stepping to Ada's side.

"Me too," agrees David, walking over to Ada and Jill.

"Fine," Trent states, turning around. But Chris stares at Jill, anger burning in his eyes.

"What the hell is with you?! Why are you siding with _her_?!" Chris finally snaps. The President's bodyguards step forward protectively.

"Don't worry," I mumble. "He won't do anything reckless."

They nod at me while they step back and I'm suddenly grateful for my position in the Secret Service.

"What?! Why are you such a good friend to Trent?! What has Ada ever done? Tell me. Now!" Jill practically screams.

I see Ada flinch and she steps back. I can see the guilt in her face, since these two had been fighting over her and their relationship was falling apart because of these arguments.

However, a silence falls, the only noise being Jill's heavy breathing. I see shock replace Chris' anger and he looks down.

"I… I guess she's never done anything to us…" he finally admits. Carlos and Barry shake their heads.

"Why are you two shaking your heads? You never defended Ada," Ashley growls.

"You're right but we never went up against her," Barry retorts.

"Okay! You all need to shut up about me!" Ada suddenly shouts.

I jump slightly at her sudden shouting but I completely understand why she's so angry with these people. She has been the main topic of arguments and conversation's since Trent joined us and challenged Ada's loyalty.

"What?" Claire asks.

"You heard me! I'm sick and tired of being the main topic of conversation! Just stop talking about me! I'm not going to betray you, got that?! I have no reason to!" Ada finally snaps.

I gently place my hand on her arm. With a shake of her head she steps away from me and stands near the President. She mumbles something to him and he nods. They walk away, most likely returning to the Oval Office.

"Whoa…" Ashley whispers.

I stare after Ada and the President knowing that she wanted to get away so she didn't have to answer our questions.

"Uh, this is random, but where are we going to stay?" John asks, looking around.

Trent looks over at him, humor etched across his face, but his eyes betray him. He's thinking about something, his hands shoved into his pockets where they fidget. I unconsciously go for my gun and I leave my hand right next to the holster.

The President and Ada return quickly before he looks around at us. Is he sizing us up? I look over to Ada but she ducks her head down, pale eyes narrowed slightly.

"Well, we have to do something about Wesker, correct?" Graham asks.

"Yeah," Chris states, watching Jill. They hadn't said anything since the argument and Jill still looks pissed off.

"Well, do you know a location that Wesker would use for a base?"

"No. Ada and Trent gave us all the ideas on where to go. Why can't you find a base for us?" Claire grumbles.

"Well, I can't do anything because Wesker is not in the United States. Satellites over other counties trying to find someone is not a very good idea. So you have no idea where he could be?"

"Why do you keep asking?" Rebecca asks. "With the way you sound, it's like you know-"

I see Billy silence her, motioning in the way that said, 'don't show the President disrespect!'

I turn back to Ada and I see a ghost of a smile on her lips as she nods past me. I glance back and as if painted there, two government agents stand calmly. One is the agent who'd convinced me to go to the hospital.

"We didn't mean to interrupt," the one from the hospital offers. "We just needed to speak to Agent Kennedy, sir. We believe he could be infected with a very dangerous parasite."

"No, he's not! If he was, I would be infected still too!" Ashley snaps and then freezes. Everybody is staring at her in shock, though I do see Trent shake his head in humor.

"What? What the fuck is she talkin' about?" John asks. I unconsciously step forward, forcing Ashley to stay away from him.

"Nothing," Ashley squeaks. "I didn't mean anything!"

I glance at the President, who's frowning but doesn't look angry, and then I feel something huge tackle me. John pins me down, holding me down.

"You could've told us about this! But no, too busy with your fucking whore, right?!"

I attempt to get away from him but I can hardly breathe. I can't really do much with my lungs collapsing. I see Secret Service going for their guns, fingers itching to stop John in case he went after the President or Ashley.

"Get off of him." The voice is Ada's and she sounds pissed. I see her standing near John, the 9mm in hand, and staring at John. "Remember what I said on the boat? Well, that was me being nice. Now get off of him!"

John finally stands and backs away from me, his eyes seething. Ada just calmly steps away from him, lowering the 9mm. Her eyes are the steely cold ones I recognize from Raccoon City, before I got shot, at least.

I force myself to my feet, welcoming the air that I was finally able to breathe in. Ada joins me, watching John still. Then I see the Secret Service walking over to him. He did after all threaten a government agent and did this right in front of the President.

"No, don't worry about it. He can stay. We'll just have to watch that anger, won't we?" the President evenly states. He watches John, looking like the drill instructor he once was, before he breaks his gaze away and looks at me.

"So, as I was saying. Where would Wesker be, right now?" he asks, smirking.

I nod silently in understanding. The two agents must've been sent here to listen and warn Wesker. Or at least to antagonize Ashley and me over the parasite.

"So, we're getting a ride in Air Force One?" Carlos asks hopefully.

The President laughs, "Sorry, but only I can be transported in Air Force One. No, you'll be getting a typical airplane. A Boeing 747 will take you over and a Boeing 747 will take you back. Unlike Mr. Trent, I can't hand out free leer jets for you.

"That sucks," Carlos groans.

"When does the plane leave?" I ask.

"We're calling up the transportation right now. The plane leaves this afternoon, which is in two hours. I suggest you do something about your clothes. I don't know about you men but I'm certain Ashley could help the girls," the President proposes.

I see Ada's face go from calm to shock as Ashley grabs her hand. Jill, Claire, and Rebecca follow and I'm again hit by the guilt of Hunnigan either dieing or being caught by those soldiers.

"What about us?" Carlos asks.

The President shrugs and I want to laugh. I don't, even though I can tell the President sure as hell does.

"Okay, so where are we going? Am I missing something here?" Barry asks.

I look at the agents and the President snaps, "Why are you still here? Get out!"

The two nod faintly before leaving, though the one who'd spoken to me glanced back once more. I held his gaze coldly until he finally turned away.

--

"This sucks," Carlos groans. President Graham had sent us to the Family Dining Room, where all of us stood now. Well, at least all of the guys. Everybody but me had taken a position at the table while I leaned on the wall near the door with my arms folded over my chest.

"It could be worse," David offers.

"How?" Barry asks. "We get to stink like dogs and the girls get new clothes"

"Ashley could've tried to dress us," I mumble. Chris laughs gently and Barry snorts. David and John just stare at me. I look back between the two.

"Man, you two need to lighten up. Leon's cool! If he wasn't I highly doubt he would've managed to do all he's done. He would've snapped under the pressure. Isn't that right, hombre?" Carlos laughs.

I nod faintly. A silence falls over us until Chris speaks up, apparently trying to raise his own spirits.

"Carlos would've been dressed in pink, of course," he bluntly states.

Carlos stares at him in shock, until he snaps, "I'd rather be in pink than neon green."

Barry snorts again at this statement. Chris glances at him.

"I don't even want to know what she'd put you in," he remarks.

"Well, Barry would've been in those really weird looking clothes with the patches on them," Carlos says.

I shake my head in disbelief when I realize somebody is standing next to me. I look over and see it's Ashley, looking rather amused. Rebecca, Claire, Jill, and Ada stand near her. Ada looks over at me.

"What's going on?" she asks.

"Carlos and Chris are dreaming of being dressed in pink and neon green," is my response. She grins and the other girls laugh silently.

"How long do you think it will take them to notice us standing here?" Rebecca asks.

"Actually, Carlos, I believe you'd look much better in yellow and orange," Ashley suddenly hollers.

I see Chris and Carlos jump and this makes Barry laugh even more. Jill chuckles faintly at Barry.

"I think he's going to die," Jill offers.

"No, not yet!" Barry coughs out between laughs.

"Okay, so not that we're in a closed off room, how about you guys explain what's going on?" John snaps.

I see David staring at Ada and I really want to step between them. Instead, Ada joins me where I stand and Ashley walks over to the others to tell them the truth about Spain. Jill and Rebecca join her.

"Spain… We have to go back to Spain," Ada mumbles.

"Yeah, I know. What do you think Ashley will do when she realizes her father isn't going to let her come with us?" I ask, glancing at the blonde. She was a much better person now that she wasn't so whiny and constantly complaining.

"She said she would argue with him if she has to," Ada replies.

We become silent and I suddenly notice what she's wearing. A blue T-shirt and black jeans. Wow, she looks good in blue. Ada notices me looking at her.

"Ashley didn't have any red or black, so I went for the next best thing," she states. "Don't get any ideas."

I grin at her, stating, "You're the one who thinks I have ideas."

"I know what you're thinking. Remember, I'm a mind reader."

I stare at her in shock. She remembers that conversation.

"And now you're shocked that I remember that conversation," she laughs.

"That's just creepy."

The doors open and the President walks in, looking at Ashley. He sighs before stating, "Your transportation is here. They'll take you to the airport. Ashley…"

"I know, you don't want me to go, right?" She pauses silently. "Okay, fine. I can't really argue with you."

He glances at me and I calmly promise, "I will make sure she doesn't magically get on the plane."

Ashley stares at me in shock but the President nods pleasantly.

He leads us out to four black cars, sitting in front of the massive house. We pair off: Chris, Jill, and Claire in the front car; Ada, David, and I in the second car; Carlos, Barry, and John in the third car; and Trent, Rebecca, and Billy in the final car.

With one final wave to Ashley and the President, the cars start off and take us to the airport.

--

"Have I ever told you how badly I hate airplanes?" Ada hisses at me.

This plane, unlike the one we took to LA, is absolutely packed. And what's worse is Ada and I are stuck next to the stereotypical old lady in the very back.. David, John, and Trent sit behind us. Chris and Jill are across from us next to an overweight man about Rebecca's age who had made it his job to stare at the woman surrounding him. Rebecca and Billy are in front of us and lucky enough to sit next to a kindly old gentleman who'd been building a beer belly. And finally Claire, Carlos, and Barry are across from Rebecca and Billy.

"Yes, multiple times. In fact, I still have scars from when you grabbed my arm in that damn leer jet," I respond.

As the stewardess goes through the emergency procedure I see Ada grab the pendent around her neck. I honestly hadn't ever expected to see that necklace again. Especially not with Ada wearing it.

"What if this plane crashes?" John suddenly asks. He's just trying. Ada glances back at him.

I know she's itching to go for here gun, since we'd brought them this time. The President had called the airport and told them about our group. We'd been aloud to carry our guns with us.

"Shut up, John," David mumbles.

Ada leans her head against my shoulder and I look out the window as the plane takes off. Ada yawns and I resist the urge to do so as well. Damn contagious yawning.

"So, what are we going to do?" Trent asks.

"Sleep," I respond.

"You know I meant about when we get to Spain," he growls.

"Oh really?"

That shuts him up. Ada laughs, shaking her head. "You're just trying, aren't you?"

"That's my job."

"Oh, shut up."

"Yes, your majesty."

"I'm not kidding."

"Of course you aren't."

She becomes quiet, though I can tell she's planning on something to say. After a few seconds of silence I relax and she punches me in the arm.

"What was that for?" I whimper at her.

"Nobody wins fights against me," she reminds.

I turn away from her glancing out the window, when I feel her poke me in the side. I glance at her and she nods at where Claire is. She's staring at Carlos with a death glare. The Hispanic man can't get far enough away from her. He's stuck between her and Barry and neither are moving.

"Oh God, what happened?" I ask.

"Don't know. All I know is I looked over at her and she looked like she was going to kill him."

I see Chris trying to calm her down before Jill snaps something at the younger woman and Claire settles down.

"Jill's still mad?" I ask.

"Chris was babying her earlier and she hates it when he does that. At least, that's what she said. I'm not quite certain if she's still angry about that. Oh and the whole Trent vs. me thing," Ada responds, her voice angry.

"Oh, right."

The old woman is staring blankly ahead and Ada notices. "What's wrong?" she softly asks. I've never heard _that _tone of voice.

"I think I'm going crazy," is the response.

"Why?" I ask.

"I keep seeing this little doll poking its head out at me," she mumbles. She looks at me and I see fear in her eyes.

"A doll?" Ada asks. The old woman nods. "How about you take the window seat and he and I will move over?"

"Oh, that's sweet of you. You don't mind?" she asks, fear still in her eyes. A doll? Why do I always attract the weird shit?

"Of course not," Ada promises. We stand and walk past her so she can move over, and once she has we sit down again.

Jill looks over at us, confusion written on her face. Ada just shrugs. Then she turns and I see her eyes narrow.

"Well, she's not going crazy," Ada remarks. "Unless it's a little kid made out of wood that's about the size of a baby or smaller."

I frown at her and Rebecca turns around. "You saw it too?" the medic asks sharply.

"What the fuck is it?" Claire asks.

"I don't know but does anybody have a camera or a cell phone with a camera on it?" Ada asks. The old lady hands her cell phone over and Ada nods at her thankfully.

"What's going on?" David asks.

"We're all going nuts," I respond. "They're trying to take a picture of an evil doll."  
"Like Chucky?" John asks.

I nod and he snorts loudly. Then I hear the clicking noise of a camera going off. Rebecca turns around and hands Ada the phone who glances at it and then hands it to me. I see goose bumps appear on her arm and it's not form he air vents.

I freeze and John, David, and Trent try to look at it. Sure enough, it's a doll. Completely brown and made of wood, even the hair, the little thing is freaky looking. It's eyes, also wood, stare blankly out at us. It's a girl and the dress, again made of wood, is fashioned in an old world style.

"I think somebody's fucking with us," John offers. Chris and Jill take the phone and show Claire and the others before we return it to the lady. She deletes the picture and closes the phone.

That's when Ada mumbles, "That thing wasn't being held by anybody or controlled in any manner."

Dolls. It just has to be killer, freaking dolls.

Ada turns to me and whispers, "You know what I hate more than flying?"

"What?" I ask, even though I already have an idea.

"Dolls. I absolutely hate dolls," she growls and all I can do is nod in agreement.


	16. Castle

Hero

After taking the picture, the doll no longer bothered us. It was if it wanted us to spot it. Then again, spotting it had caused chaos in our team. A rift had caused between us since Chris, Trent, and John refused to believe that the doll was really alive.

"Living dolls don't exist," Chris growls for the eighth time since Rebecca had taken the picture. It was like he wanted to go up against Jill, who defended what we'd seen with a steady calm.

"Then what was the picture of, Chris?" Jill snaps angrily. Every other time she'd just mumbled that it was real but we were all running low on patience when Chris, Trent, and John made comments on the doll.

"Some kid was playing with her doll and we managed to spot it," he replies.

"I didn't see any hands or strings. Was the kid using telepathy?" Jill snarls, holding Chris' gaze.

"That would be telekinesis," Rebecca corrects. Billy coughs to cover a laugh and Jill grins at the younger woman.

"I don't know! But no virus can bring a doll to life!" he practically shouts. The man next to them, who is asleep, snorts and shifts.

"You've fought gigantic plants, zombies, tyrants, and a massive worm and you think _this _is impossible?! Last time I checked, none of those other things were exactly _normal _either!" Jill whisper shouts.

Ada brushes her hand against mine and I look at her. She glances at me and then looks forward again. I take that as a sign that the doll is back.

Rebecca gasps and Billy jolts in his seat. Everybody instantly looks forward. When we see nothing, I begin to believe that we truly are going crazy, until I hear Ada.

"Don't move, Rebecca," she hisses, leaning forward. I see Billy look at the assassin in confusion but his eyes trail down.

"What?" John asks.

"There…There's one by my feet," the medic whimpers, gripping her seat tightly. I can't see past her knees but I see Billy's face pale incredibly, which is enough for me.

The old lady starts to whimper to and I glance at her. Her eyes are wide and her skin is as pale as a sheet of paper.

"What do I do?" Rebecca asks, sniffing. I wonder if she's crying but I know her better than that. She's strong enough not to cry.

"Just stay still. If it moves, we'll call for a stewardess," Claire offers, though she's pressed herself against Carlos to keep away from it.

"One's coming," Trent mumbles.

Indeed, a brunette is walking down the aisle and she stops at Trent. He smiles at her but instead of getting something to drink or he, he says, "Ma'am, I hate to be a bother, but my friend has a slight phobia of dolls and somehow one managed to find its way to her. Would you mind taking it?"

"Oh, of course not sir," the brunette replies.

Rebecca raises her hand and the woman walks over to her. She crouches and lifts the doll. Her cheery expression turns to disgust at the doll. Rebecca mumbles a weak thank you, though she still doesn't relax.

"This is an ugly little thing, huh? I can see why you don't like it," she admits to Rebecca before continuing down the aisle. Rebecca exhales sharply and I feel a tap on my arm. I turn to the old lady.

"I thought you might want this, young man. I know you didn't get a very good view."

She hands me her phone and I see a picture of the doll in the woman's hands. I smile and nod my thanks to the woman before turning to share it with the others.

"This one's even uglier," John groans. I glance at him and he shrugs. "One? I think we're going nuts. But two and the last one moving on its own? Somethin weird is going on."

I nod at him in agreement and Ada lets me take the phone again. John was right. This one was bald and dressed in a sailor outfit. I can barely make out one eye but what appears to be bold has stained the wood surrounding the eye.

"What's going on?" Ada whispers.

"The Progenitor," Trent suddenly states.

"I thought they destroyed all of the samples," she mumbles.

"We all did. Perhaps Spencer was keeping it hidden. But it has to be the Progenitor. The virus is actually capable of bringing wooden objects to life. They tested it on dolls and marionettes. I've only ever seen pictures," he explains.

"What's the Progenitor?" Jill asks.

"The virus that started the T-virus. It's a mutated strand of Ebola and is extremely potent. Umbrella believed it was capable of thinking on its own, even though that is absolutely impossible," Trent mumbles, staring at the picture.

"You could've told us this earlier, when we thought we were going nuts," Claire remarks.

"That wouldn't have been such a good idea. For all I knew, we were going insane. But after this, I believe we aren't so insane after all."

Ada shudders at my side and I wrap my arm around her shoulder, tucking her comfortably against my side. As we relax, I can't help but think about how nice this is. Dolls, parasites, viruses, and whatever else exists, I don't honestly care because I've wanted to do this for so long.

--

"No killer dolls anywhere?" John asks as soon as we're in the airport.

"I don't see any," David admits.

"Yeah, well I didn't see any of them fuckers on the plane but that didn't mean anything," John retorts. David glares at him before stalking off. "What's his problem? He's never been this moody before," John mumbles.

Claire shoots a cold look at Ada and I before stalking over to her brother's side. Jill frowns and looks at her feet.

"You okay, Jill?" I ask.

"What did I do wrong? I mean, I know I shouldn't have stayed so pissed at him but still… Now he hates me…" she groans.

"Maybe you two should talk," Ada offers. "It worked for us."

I remember the leer jet though I know which one she's talking about because she's trying not to laugh. How did I know she would use that against me?

"I try! When we were being taken in by the FBI I tried to speak to him but he wouldn't even look at me."  
"Maybe it's Claire. She is his sister and she probably told him not to trust me. So when you did he felt betrayed or confused," Ada offers.

"I suppose. But how can I talk to Chris is Claire's always at his side?"

"Convince her that one of us needs to speak to her. John or Trent or David," I offer.

She nods and walks away to find Chris and Claire. Ada and I walk silently forward, heading towards the exit. I see her narrow her eyes in thought.

"Where would Wesker be?" she asks. "He wouldn't stay at the island and the Pueblo is full of villagers still. Where would he go?"

"I have an idea where he might be," Trent offers, joining us.

"Where?"

"A castle, about ten miles away from the village. It used to be a base for the laboratory underneath but for some reason Umbrella shut it down right before the Raccoon incident. We should check there and then go from what we find."

Ada nods her head silently but Trent states, "Unfortunately, we don't have transportation."

"Actually, Barry just found this," Carlos states, jogging over to us. He hands us a flyer that is in Spanish. "It says, 'free dirigible ride to haunted castle.'"

"Why would-"

Trent is cut off when Carlos continues, "It's haunted. People don't like to go to haunted places here. I remember my mom telling me about this country. Some creepy stuff happens here. The owner must've decided that the tourism would eventually pay for itself. After all, Americans like a good scare."

"And so do other countries. The owner more than likely hoped to get enough tourism that he actually had to get money to pay for the rides to pay for the fuel," Ada agrees.

"Okay, so we get to rid this thing?" Trent asks, though I see that he looks slightly uncomfortable.

"It's the only way unless you want to give Wesker a head start home. We need to catch up to him as quickly as possible," Ada states. "Why? You aren't afraid of flying in one, are you?"

"Of course I'm not!" Trent snaps. He looks up at Chris and Jill who stand waiting for us.

"Really?" I ask. "I don't know. I show pictures of the Hindenburg crash. Not to mention all of those other crashes. Not pretty."

Trent glares at me but says nothing. Carlos and Barry explain the plan to Chris and Jill who nod in agreement and look outside. Rebecca and Billy are sitting on the benches next to us and also nod at Barry's plan, though Rebecca still seems unhappy from the incident on the plane.

"So, where is he supposed to be?" Chris asks.

"On the outskirts of Madrid. We should be able to get some cars to go there," Barry states.

"If we can get some cars, couldn't we ask them to take us to the castle?" Trent asks.

"No. Car drivers won't go out there. They're too afraid to even try," Carlos mumbles.

"So then, let's get to the airship and get the hell out of here," I state. The others nod in agreement until we notice that David, John, and Claire aren't with us. Rebecca and Billy are sitting on the benches next to us. "Okay, where are they?"

"We're right here! And you guys would never guess what we found!" Claire shouts, running up. Her right hand is behind her back.

John and David join her, looking excited and proud. I'm almost afraid to see what they found but I motion for them to show us.

Claire pulls her hand out from behind her back and shows us what's in her hand. Rebecca jumps and covers her mouth with her hand. In Claire's hand is the female doll we'd taken a picture of. It lies limp in her hand, eyes staring up at the ceiling.

"We found it over there," Claire says, swinging the doll in the direction she's speaking of. "It was just sitting there."

Trent grumbles something and Carlos quickly explains the plan. When she hears airship, she glances at Ada, who's staring coldly back.

"You're not afraid of airships?" I ask. She shakes her head and then looks at me. "I'm not afraid, I just don't like them," I admit. "As I said, I've seen pictures of what happened to the Hindenburg."

She smiles at me and purrs, "Don't worry, I'll hold your hand."

"Oh, that's comforting," I reply. She laughs lightly.

"Let's get out of here," Jill mumbles before turning and leaving the airport. I glance at Chris who looks coldly forward and I shake my head. Too much drama.

--

"I hate cabs," I grumble for the third time since we'd got in the cab. He was taking us far away from Madrid, stating he knew the way to the man's house and he would lead the others to him. Jill had joined Ada and I.

"I hate Chris," Jill responds.

"Did he not listen to you?" Ada asks.

"He wouldn't even look at me," she growls.

"Maybe he's not Chris," I offer. Jill gives me a look like I'm retarded and I just shrug. Ada is silently laughing. "Sorry. Just trying to make you feel better."

She smirks at me, stating, "Well, I laughed so you have completed your mission."

"Thank God. Can I go home, yet?"

"Ha-ha, funny."

"Yeah, I thought you would say something like that."

The cab driver takes us down a road leading into woodland. I glance around, remembering the last time I was here. I'm definitely not fond of the memories from the village.

"What was it like?" Jill asks.

"The village? Small, full of people, and for some reason a doctor who carried around a chainsaw," I state. Ada nods faintly, when I see the cab driver beginning to fidget.

"You okay?" Ada asks.

"Oh, si, but I'm not too comfortable with the woods here. Weird things happen here," he explains, looking around.

Jill turns in her seat and mumbles, "The others are slowing down."

"Everybody knows not to come to these woods. The airship owner is very… What's the American word?"

"Gutsy?" Jill offers.

"Yes, thank you. He stays in No-Man's Land because he thinks he's invincible. But we all know he has some sort of connection to the castle, so nobody bothers him."  
"Has anybody ever gone to the castle?" Ada asks.

"Oh yes. Germans, Americans, even the Chinese love to come and look at this place. I would never even think about stepping into that haunted thing…"

"It's not one of those, 'they enter and never come back' things, is it?" Jill asks.

The cab driver laughs, responding, "Of course not. Everybody has always come back. Though I did hear that the owners of the castle were killed off about six years ago. And this was after it was haunted."

I look at Ada who nods at me. Six years ago, the Raccoon City outbreak occurred. Was this an Umbrella mansion? Is it possible that Wesker was using this place?

"So, what's your business up here?" the driver asks.

"We're looking for someone. He likes haunted castles so we thought we might as well try this place out," Jill explains. I see her jaw clench angrily.

"Yeah? He's crazy to be here during this time of the year. The castle always seems to become more active when it's getting cold."

Joy…

--

The airship stood out against the sky as we walked forward. We had just gotten out of the cars but the creepy thing was, the second we were out of the cars, they drove away as fast as possible.

"Taking her out for a fly?" John asks.

"I doubt that. I have a funny feeling there's going to be tourists at the mansion," Ada states.

"So, what's the plan?" Rebecca asks.

"Well, the castle's big so we could all stick together, but what fun would that be? We should split up into groups of two," Trent states.

"Agreed," Jill states.

"How about Barry and Carlos, Claire and John, David and Trent, Jill and Chris, Leon and Ada, and me and Billy?" Rebecca offers.

Several faces darken but the airship is landing so there's no time to argue. We walk over to the large cabin that sits in front of the airship's landing platform. We stand in a row of twelve people and watch the man step around the ship, examining it. He notices us.

"¿Cómo puedo ayudarte?" he asks pleasantly.

I see several confused looks on my teammates' faces and so does the man. He laughs gently before rubbing the back of his head.

"My apologies. I didn't know you were, American?" he states, though he looks cautious.

"Yes, we're American. You've been getting more locals going to the castle?" Ada asks.

"Yes. It's odd really, since they were always so afraid. Then again, the last group was American and German teenagers," he admits. "So, as I was saying, how may I help you?"

"We need a ride to the castle," John explains. "You up for the job?"

"I don't really have a choice. Go ahead and get onboard. I'll check her fuel and we'll be out of here in a second."

We climb aboard and settle ourselves into the comfortable seats. Claire takes out the doll and begins examining it.

"Would you put that thing away? It's fucking creepy," Jill snarls.

"Don't bother Claire," Chris mumbles.

"No, you need to put it away," Jill snaps.

"Actually, she doesn't," Chris snaps back.

"Both of you!" Ada shouts.

They jump before Jill states, "David, I want you to be my partner."

The British man jumps slightly but nods. I notice that he'd been staring at Ada and I feel angry, though I'm not certain why.

Claire puts the doll away, right as the airship starts up and heads into the sky. We look out over the forest as the man steers us towards a dark and looming shape in the distance.

"How did I miss that?" I ask myself. Ada laughs gently, before her eyes widen. I look out and I notice we're flying right over the village. "Why would Salazar have a castle right next to the one we're going to?"

"Who knows? Though I think it's funny that his castle is short, like him, while the other one is huge."

I laugh in agreement. But we all become silent and Barry starts rubbing his head as if in pain.

"Why did we come here?" he asks. "Something very bad is going to happen…"

"It's either we came here or we sat at home and watched TV for hours on end," Claire grumbles. "I could really do with that TV though…"

I feel the ship lowering and soon we've hit solid earth again. I see Trent release a death grip on his seat that I hadn't noticed before and he's the first one off. We step into the cool forest air and I look up.

The castle is monstrous and looks like the typical castle with about ten or twenty towers and huge double doors.

"It needs a draw bridge and a moat," Carlos mumbles.

"Well, enjoy your stay. I plan on coming back for the kids tomorrow afternoon so I can get you guys as well, if you want," the pilot states.

Ada nods and says thank you and we head for the castle. The airship takes off behind us. I hear Rebecca going through her bag of medical items, probably doing inventory. Everybody, including Ada and me, is checking their ammo and breathing deeply.

We step up to the massive doors and I notice that they're slightly open. Chris, Barry, Carlos, and I step forward to tug the door open a little more. Once everybody is inside, I feel the chill that I'd felt in the village and the castle.

"Okay, so who's going-"

Jill is cut off by several screams, though the loudest is, "Hilfe! Wir benötigen Hilfe! Uns bitte helfen!"

"What the fuck?" John asks.

"Whoever it was needs help," Ada says quickly. "Help. We need help. Please help us."

"How many languages do you know?" I ask.

She looks at me in a way that says, 'not now' so I drop it.

"Okay. Leon and I will take the left side of the upstairs. Jill and David can take the right. Claire and John can head down the right side down here and Barry and Carlos can take the left. The rest of you should wait by the door, just in case."

Even though Chris looks infuriated, he remains silent and nods respectfully. At this, we all move out. Ada and I climb the stairs quickly and head into the left hallway.

"Seven," Ada suddenly mumbles.

"Seven what?" I ask, slightly confused.

"I know and can fluently speak in seven languages other than English. I can speak German, French, Chinese, Spanish, Japanese, Russian, and Portuguese."

I stare at her and mumble, "I can speak a little Spanish still. I'm not that great at it, since I learned it in high school, but I know some phrases."

She smiles at me in response, until a loud thunking noise sounds from up ahead. Ada and I instantly point our guns in the direction of the noise and I see something scramble away.

We walk down the hall until we find a cabinet that is moving slightly. Ada stares at it before she calls, "You can come out." No response, then Ada says, "Du kannst herauskommen."

A small form relaxes slightly at Ada's German and it crawls out from its hiding place. I'm shocked to see a young girl, maybe fourteen or fifteen, cowering in front of us. She looks up at Ada with huge eyes.

"Wer sind du zwei? Warum bist du hier? Hast du meine Freunde gesehen? Ich kann sie nicht finden… Ich denke, dass sie mich hier verließen! Und ich denke, dass sie mich in Angriff genommen durch die… Puppen erhalten wünschten," she quickly whimpers.

"What'd she say?" I ask.

"She wants to know who we are, why we're here, and if we've seen her friends… But she said she thinks her friends abandoned her and she thinks they wanted her to get attacked by dolls…" Ada explains.

"Tell her who we are and all that and ask for her name."

"Mein Name ist Ada und dieses ist Leon. Wer sind du?"

"Mein Name ist Mari. Kannst du mir findest helfen meine Freunde?"

"She wants us to help her find her friends," Ada explains.

I nod at her and Ada mumbles, "Ja helfen wir dir, deine Freunde zu finden."

The girl beams and stands, following us as we head back towards the entrance. I reach for the door when I hear an eerie childish giggle behind me and the teenager begins to scream. Ada turns, trying to say something but the teen is too loud.

I hear a single word coming out of the girl's mouth as she screams. "Puppen! Puppen!"

Ada looks at me and I see her eyes widen. I fear what the word means but she whispers dolls under her breath. I nod in understanding and I hear light footsteps on the wood. Ada pulls the screaming girl away as a tiny figure moves out of the shadows. It's head twitches and it's carrying a massive butcher knife. The giggle continues as it steps into the light.

It's a doll, just like the one Claire has, but it's covered in blood and it's got sharp teeth visible beneath its wooden lips.

Ada looks at me in silence and I'm about to mumble run, when I hear the thundering sound of gunshots coming from the entrance. I feel something tug on my pants and I see the girl trying to get us to move.

The doll starts walking faster and Ada grabs my hand and we sprint away. I feel the young girl tugging on my hand as adrenaline fuels us. We practically run the boy over.

He'd stumbled out of the shadows and we halt as fast as possible. Then the girl's petrified face turns happy.

"Justin! Bist du okay? Warum tat-"

Whatever she's about to say is cut off by a scream from one of the rooms near us, followed by that damned giggling.


	17. Riddles and Marionettes

Hero

Justin looks around in shock, before his eyes find Ada and me. I notice that his eyes are watery and bloodshot, as if he'd been crying or got hurt. He opens his mouth to speak, when the giggling starts up again.

"Fuckin' things," the boy finally wheezes. "They got Jessie and Mark. I… I don't know what they are. Who are you two?"

"My name's Leon and this is Ada. I'm guessing you and her are part of the group of kids that came up here?"

"Yeah… It was supposed to be a joke! Mark, he's German and he wanted to come up here with his sister. They had this whole family legacy going back here, which is weird since this is a Spanish castle…" He becomes silent as the sound of little wooden feet sprinting over the wooden floor sounds from behind us. "Anyway, we learned German so we could talk to his friends and his sister and all that crap. We were just playing, man, you gotta believe me!"

"What'd you do?" Ada asks, glancing behind us. I see lifeless eyes peering at us from a doll that had magically found its way onto a small table. A huge knife is in its hand.

"Mari and Tomas… We separated ourselves from them. They were annoying, just little kids to us. We were just trying to scare them out of here but those…dolls came at us all of a sudden!" Justin stammers.

"How many of there were you?" I ask, aiming my pistol at the doll.

"Me, Mark, Jessie, Mari, Tomas, Gustav, Michael, and Cassandra. Cassandra and Gustav went out on their own and Michael was the one who led Mary and Tomas away. I saw this big fucker get Mark and then Jessie was taken down by the dolls."

"Wait, there's more than-"

Ada's cut off by Mari screaming, "Hakenmann!"

"What?" I ask. Then I see movement behind Ada.

She turns after seeing my facial expression change and I get a good glimpse of two sharp hooks. Ada stumbles back into my chest, throwing a hundred-something pounds against my sternum. I hear Justin scream and run but Mari stays with us. Her eyes are huge but she seems calm otherwise.

The being steps forward as Ada and I stand up, pistols pointed at the man…thing. He once was a man but now large lacerations covered his bare skin and a chunk was out of his face. He carried two monstrous hooks in his hands that were attached to chains. Ada shoots him in the head without the hesitation I'm having.

It doesn't even faze him. He keeps on coming, moving with the slow shuffle of a zombie but I know he's not as stupid as the undead were. Ada and I open fire, plugging him with 9mm rounds from the HP Brownings we'd brought with us.

"Mari Durchlauf!" Ada orders.

The girl nods and takes off down the hall, leading back to the door that would take her to the staircase. I grab Ada's wrist as she's about to reload and we take off instead of fighting the bastard.

I see Mari waiting for us at the door and I hear the man slowly moving towards us. As soon as we're through the door, Mari slams it shut and we head for the stairs. My heart's pounding and I'm finding it difficult to breath. I see Chris, Trent, Rebecca, and Billy staring at us.

"Were you guys shooting?" Chris asks as soon as we're downstairs.

"Yeah, were you?" I pant.

"Yeah, more dolls! And this kid ran out of the door you just came from," Billy mumbles, pushing Justin forward. Mari promptly walks over to him and smacks him.

"What was that for?!" the boy shouts.

"Gerade weil ich nicht sprechen kann, bedeutet Englisch nicht, dass ich es nicht verstehe! Du dachtest, dass es lustig war, Tomas und mich zu verlassen?! Gut ist er tot! Ich hoffe, dass du glücklich bist!" she shouts. (Just because I can't speak English doesn't mean I don't understand it! You thought it was funny to abandon Tomas and me?! Well, he's dead! I hope you're happy!)

"If you can understand it, you need to understand that now is not the time. We need your absolute cooperation Mari. Slap him later," Ada orders. The girl nods at her respectfully and I look at Ada in confusion. "She understands English, she just can't speak it."

I see. I glance at them, before I settle my eyes on Mari. "Do you know who all is dead?"

The girl looks slightly thoughtful before she says, "Cassandra und Gustav wurden in einem Raum durch die Puppen verriegelt. Ich weiß nicht, welcher Raum… Es ist oben zwar. Ich hörte sie zu schreien, um zu sein ließ heraus. Tomas wurde… vom Hakenmann getötet. Michael sprang ein Fenster heraus, als die Puppen angriffen. Er sagte, dass er nicht es beschäftigen könnte…"

"She said Gustav and Cassandra were locked in a room by the dolls. She doesn't know which room it is but she's knows it's upstairs since she hear them screaming. Tomas was killed by the Hookman, and Michael jumped out a window. He couldn't deal with the situation," Ada explains.

"Alright, we'll have to find the others and these kids. Who should go where?" Chris asks.

"Somebody needs to stay here with these two. We can't have them traversing the castle and making the situation any more difficult than it already is," Ada states.

"I'll wait with them," Trent offers. "I don't need a gun. We'll even wait outside if you want."

Chris nods his before any of us can say anything and I see Rebecca glare at Trent dangerously. Trent smiles at the kids and Mari gives me a look that asks why I'm sending her out with this creepy guy. I just smile at her encouragingly and she follows Trent and Justin outside.

"Leon, you and Ada go upstairs and look for Jill, David, and the kids. Rebecca, you and Billy go after Barry and Carlos. I'll go find John and Claire. Good luck, guys," Chris says, his face ashen.

Ada looks over at me and I smile falsely. She smiles back but I see a haunted look in her eyes.

We leave the others and head down the right hall upstairs, the old wood creaking below our boots. Ada looks uncomfortable.

"What's wrong?" I ask softly.

"The floor in the other hall didn't creak… Why would one-"

A dark form appears in front of us and we jump. Ada aims and pulls the trigger, striking the form in the head with the bullet.

"Jesus! I'm glad that's not me!" Jill shouts from next to us. She and David walk out from their hiding places in the room next to me. I see Ada relax visibly, though her hand is gripping the gun tightly.

"Where are the others?" David asks.

"We split up again. We found some kids and now Chris wants us all to head back to the entrance once we find everybody. Ada and I were looking for you two and two other kids. Have you seen them?"

"No, but we heard somebody shouting near us. It was probably them but we were attacked by _dolls _before we could investigate," Jill states.

"Trent was right then. This is the Progenitor, right?" David asks. Then his eyes go to Ada. "Are you alright?"

She looks at him and I feel guilty for not asking. After a couple of seconds, she mumbles, "I'm fine."

"What is that?" Jill asks, stepping out. She pulls out a flashlight that I didn't know she had and shined it over the form.

"It's a marionette," Ada mumbles. Then I notice what scared her so badly. The light from the muzzle flash must've let her see the puppet's face. It was painted to look like Ada herself. Its eyes were painted the pale grey-green that hers are and its wooden hair is short and black. And as if it too was painted there, the bullet from Ada's gun lay nestled between the painted eyes.

I pull Ada over to me and I feel her shaking slightly as I hug her to me. Jill is staring at the thing in shock, when I hear a booming male voice laugh, "Redemption is a word that has no meaning here." The marionette starts to move, as though the voice is tugging on the wires.

I see it stand up and with its right hand pulls a knife out of its leg. It stares at Ada blankly, starting for her.

Jill looks around until she points at the wires. Somebody _is _controlling it!

"Shoot the wires! We might be able to stop it if the person can't control it," Jill quickly states. We all aim for the wires while the man starts speaking again.

"Dead or undead, it's really just a switch. On, off. On, off. On, off. On. Off."

"Shut the fuck up!" Jill shouts. The marionette lurches at the brunette and David yanks on Jill's arm, preventing the thing from burying its knife into her throat.

"Life or death, they both have their purpose," the man states.

"Fuck you! Death has no purpose when you don't deserve to die!" Jill shouts. I see tears in her eyes.

"Jill, ignore him. He wants you to focus on him so the puppet can kill you," Ada warns.

"I know…" Jill admits.

Ada looks at me but before we can say anything a loud snapping noise catches our attention. David had shot out one of the wires. The man doesn't even acknowledge it, even though the puppet no longer uses its left arm.

"Terror is something to be learned. Always remember that, then forget it."

"What the hell is his problem?" Jill asks, before shouting, "Who are you?!"

"What do you mean, who am I? I'm Chris!"

Jill's jaw drops and David takes out another wire, this time the one that supports its head.

"Bullshit! Chris wouldn't do this!" I snap.

"I'm Chris! Why won't you believe me?"

Ada and I have been backed into a corner. I look over my shoulder and I see a pane of glass. We've reached a window. David and Jill are soon standing in front of us. Then I feel the glass move and I see an invisible wire pulling the window open. The cool forest air washes over us, instantly cooling our sweaty bodies. I can't help but look out and see that a huge canyon is directly below us.

"This open window can lead somewhere or nowhere. It's up to you. Somewhere or nowhere? Somewhere or nowhere?"

"What?" David asks. The marionette has stopped, blade raised in threat.

"He means, either we commit suicide and go somewhere or we stay here and get killed, going nowhere," Ada mumbles. She looks up at me and grabs something on her belt. "Do you trust me?"

"Of course but I hardly think that matters," I mumble. "We're trapped… Trust-"

She sticks a grappling hook into the window seal and let's two thick metal wires fall out the window. I stare at her and she looks back, her eyes grave but somehow comforting to me.

"When I say so, climb out the window. There's a ledge about twelve feet below us. It must lead to the first floor. But we have to work fast. They'll find out we didn't kill ourselves. And this hook will only last for so long," Ada whispers. I nod and I see Jill do the same. David looks calmly forward. "Now."

Ada and I use the wire to start down the side of the castle. I feel the hook jerk slightly under my weight but I keep myself calm. After what seems like hours to me, I relax when my boots touch the ledge I hadn't noticed when I'd looked out the window.. It's a pretty big ledge too. How had I missed it?

David and Jill are halfway down when I see the wires jerk and David falls. He manages to land on his feet but he collapses as soon as he is on the earth. Jill's not so lucky. She yelps, falling. She's too far away to land on the ledge but manages to catch a hold of the very edge. Ada and I run to her aid, lifting her up as quickly as possible.

The man's voice manages to reach our ears as he states, "You journey begins inside your nerve center and exits through your soul."

"What?" David asks, sitting up against the building. "What is this guy talking about? It's not even riddles. It just doesn't make any sense!"

"I think he means that we're going to be infected. We're infected and since we're dead the journey leaves us? Okay… This guys a nutcase," Jill finally states.

I see Ada looking up at the window and I feel slightly unnerved again. The marionette would scare anybody but unlike her earlier fearful reaction, she now looks thoughtful.

"What are you thinking about?" I ask gently.

She looks over at me and mumbles, "That doll was painted a long time ago. The paint was beginning to chip. I've never been here."

"Does Wesker like dolls?" David chuckles dryly.

"Can you walk?" Jill asks, noticing the way he flinched when he moved his ankle to test it out.

"Damn, I don't think so," he admits, grinding his teeth at the pain.

"Jill and I will carry you. Ada, lead the way," I order. Jill nods and heads over to David and Ada starts for the nearby window.

Climbing over the windowsill with David in tow turns out to be difficult but Jill and I manage to do so anyway. Ada leads the way, cautious and quick as she points her gun down the hall. I see the way she's listening, for anything really.

Then the giggling starts. I feel David look around fearfully before we quicken our pace. Jill is starting to look around as well as the dolls start to surround us. Ada stops suddenly and we practically collapse backwards. I see Ada reach out and pick up a jar about the size of her fist.

"It's sulfuric acid," she mumbles.

"Shit, we could use some of that," Jill admits.

"This is the only one," Ada replies.

"Then save it for the necessary situations," I warn.

"Killer dolls isn't a necessary situation?" Jill asks, looking around as the dolls surrounded us.

"No, not really," I mumble and Ada starts off again.

"Where are we?" Jill asks as we continue down dark halls.

"We're on the left side of the first floor," Ada answers.

"I'd say so since I see Rebecca and Carlos… No Billy or Barry though…"David states, breathing heavily. I look at him and he nods next to us.

The wall is not a wall, it's glass and even though it's covered in dirt and dust, I can see Rebecca and Carlos on the other side.

"That's kinda creepy. And weird," Jill states, stepping away from David. I help him lean against a wall before joining Jill. Ada steps over to my side.

"It's a cage," Jill mumbles.

"Huh?" I ask, confused.

"You know like in the zoos with polar bears? That really thick glass they put up? Well, this is the same stuff and look at the room. Rebecca and Carlos must've been separated from Barry and Carlos," she explains. Ada nods in agreement.

Suddenly Jill bangs on the glass and I see Rebecca jump. Carlos looks at us and grins. They sprint over to us and Rebecca starts speaking.

"Shit, I can-"

Jill's cut off when Ada finds a switch and we are able to hear Rebecca. She's speaking too fast and we hadn't heard half of what she said so Jill shook her head.

"Slow down and start over," Jill orders. Rebecca nods and breathes in heavily.

"Okay. Barry, Carlos, Billy, and I were walking down the hall when this guy started talking to us. He was saying some really weird things so we didn't listen to him. But then the dolls came and we ran. Somehow Barry and Billy got separated from us and we were… 'herded' into this room," Rebecca explains, looking around.

Jill opens her mouth to explain something when I see movement behind Rebecca. I see Jill point behind the younger woman and the captives turn.

"Shit, we've gotta get them out of there," I growl. Ada's looking around for more switches and I join her.

"Can we get around to the door they came through?" Jill asks.

"Not likely," David breathes, leaning on the wall. It looks like he's going to fall down any second.

"Found something," Ada mumbles. I join her and I see a large black switch. I look at her and I see her thinking the same thing I am. Should we try it?

"What the fuck was that?" Jill asks. I look at her and then I hear it. A loud grinding noise, directly beneath us. I glance down and I feel vibrations coming up through the wood.

"Oh shi-"

Jill and I are cut off by the floor underneath us giving way, opening like two doors. The four of us fall into blackness and I hear Rebecca screaming nearby. Had they fallen too?

We hit the floor with a loud thud and I hear David cry out in pain. Ada lands next to me and practically falls on me as the others land around us.

"Jesus…" somebody groans. It's Billy. "You guys too?"

"What do you mean?" Jill coughs, rubbing her head.

Ada pushes herself off of me and I sit up. She smiles at me and mumbles, "You make a good pillow."

"Well, if this whole government thing doesn't work for me, at least that will," I remark. She laughs.

"I mean, Barry and I fell down here a little while ago. We've just been sitting here," Billy explains.

"You're both okay?" Rebecca asks, walking away from Carlos. She is checking for wounds or head trauma. Jill shakes her head and motions to David. Rebecca nods and walks over to the wounded man.

"Yeah. Where are the others?" Barry asks.

I suddenly remember the marionette and its hidden speaker. He'd said he was Chris but he didn't sound anything like him. No he sounded like…

"Leaving behind a trail of destruction is both easier and more effective when the ultimate goal is not disclosed. That way, everyone in your way might be your final chance for sport, like this one," the man says, standing only a few feet from Ada and me.

"Who's that?" Billy asks.

"Do you like the house?" the man asks, staying in the shadows and for once not speaking in stupid riddles or whatever. "It was designed to be even more complicated than the Spencer Mansion. And it was full of puzzles to test out how intelligent the Progenitor virus is. But I decided that you would be good enough for the puzzles instead of the dolls or the Hookman. Don't you agree?"

I see Barry open his mouth but Ada states, "Don't ask him who he is. He says he's Chris."

Barry shuts his mouth and nods at her. Then Ada turns her attention back to the man. "Terror is something to be learned. Always remember that, then forget it."

"Shut up!" Jill snaps.

"Why don't you come out of the shadows, so we can talk?" Carlos offers.

"I'm not stupid," the man scoffs.

"I disagree," I mumble.

"Why don't you let us go? We never did anything to you," Ada states. He doesn't say anything so Ada snaps, "Let us go!"

"I hear what you're saying and although the words are there, I think I'll only be able to understand what you're saying when I hear you scream those words. And you will scream. And you will scream. You will… scream."

I see small figures running forward and then at us. It's more dolls and they're all wielding huge knifes. They giggle, baring their large fangs. Three head towards Ada and three head towards me.

"How many are there?!" Carlos shouts. I glance and notice that everybody else has three dolls advancing towards them.

A doll latches onto my pant leg and I grab it. It tries to stab me but instead I throw it at the man in the shadows. Then I see Ada struggling.

"Oh shit!" Jill shouts. The dolls had all turned on Ada. They raise deadly knives and grin evilly.

"Shit, we have to get her out of there," Barry barks, standing. Ada's jaw is clenched since she's trying to keep quiet. I grab the only thing I'd carried on me since the beginning of this mission. My old Zippo lighter. I snap it open and I drop it near the dolls. The flames catch on the old wood instantly and Ada gets to her feet. I grab her and I lift her over the flames and set her safely on the other side.

Jill and the others join us quickly and Rebecca asks Ada if she's okay. But I see David, who's leaning on Carlos, staring at the man.

"Is he gone?" I ask, not releasing my grip on Ada.

David nods faintly, looking uncomfortable.

"We have to go after that bastard!" Barry shouts angrily. "This is ridiculous!"

"I found where he went guys," Carlos states. He and David stand by a door hidden in the shadows where the man had been earlier.

"You're fine. You only have minor lacerations," Rebecca says to Ada. The latter nods and stands on her own.

"We have to hurry before he gets too much of a head start on us," Ada states.

Everybody nods and we take off through the door. This door leads to a large hallway, the walls lined in grey brick and torches. It looks like the hallway to a medieval dungeon.

"Anybody else getting freaked out by this hallway?" Carlos asks.

"It looks like the way to a dungeon," I admit. Jill and Ada nod in agreement. The others, however, look worried.

We come to a set of double doors, huge and made of steel, and this just completes the medieval dungeon look. Ada steps forward and with a nod to us, open the massive doors.

"Ah shit…" Carlos and Jill groan.

"I just had to say dungeon," I grumble.

"Thanks, Leon," Rebecca says, looking at the room.

It looks like just about every dungeon. A steel table with straps covered in blood in the far left corner of the room. An Iron Maiden in the far right corner of the room. Huge beams with rope and leather whips are lined up against the wall directly across from us and instruments used for torture lie on a table in the middle of the room.

"Anybody ever seen the movie Saw?" Jill asks. We shake our heads. "Well, in that this guy makes these people do some really fucked up shit and this room somehow reminds of that fucked up shit."

We nod in agreement though we don't know what she's talking about. The 'fucked up shit' is enough for us to understand.

"I'm glad you could make it," the mystery man says. "Now if you would kindly come in and close the door."

We come in but we don't close the door. Ada stares at the man, who is once again shrouded in shadows. His voice isn't so cheery, I notice. Then I see him drop a piece of white clothe, covered in blood.

"That doll managed to do some damage," he chuckles. I hear movement from the Iron Maiden and I flinch. Was somebody in there?

"Hilfe…ich…Bitte…" a familiar young voice sobs. It sounds like it's from the Iron Maiden but that… No. Not from the Iron Maiden. It can't be from the Iron Maiden. Nobody could do that to a child…

"Oh God, Mari," Rebecca whimpers. Ada looks as well.

"What the fuck?!" Jill shouts. "Where's Trent and Justin?!"

"Dead. Justin couldn't take the Maiden. So I tried Mari instead," the man remarks.

Carlos, Barry, and I instantly go to the torture device and with all of our strength we force it open. Mari falls out into Rebecca's arms, who'd rushed over after us. The girl looks fine, just tired.

"She was small enough to avoid the spikes," Rebecca mumbles, checking the young girl.

"You sick bastard!" Jill snarls, about to start towards the man. But Ada beats her to it.

Ada stands before the man, her gun right in front of his head, her eyes cold with recognition of the man, as she breathes, "I told you I'd be the one to kill you." And she pulls the trigger.

In the muzzle flash I see brown hair and I hear Jill gasp in shock.

A/N: Two things- I don't own some of the Mystery Man's lines. (The riddle ones.) Those belond to Capcom. And secondly, I don't own the dolls or the Hookman. They belong to Capcom as well. (So to those of you who pointed it out that they were from the original RE4 you are absolutely correct.)


	18. Not So Killer Dolls

Hero

The man's head snaps back, the bullet tearing through his brain and turning the back of his skull into shards of bone. I see David's eyes widen, staring at the man as he falls forward and hits the floor below with a loud, wet noise. Red splashes out onto the floor, turning the dark floor even darker.

Trent. It was Trent. Jill's eyes go from afraid to pissed off. Her face reddens with anger and she steps forward. Ada steps out of her way.

"This mother fucker has been playing us?" Jill snarls.

"No, I don't think so," Ada states. "I think he truly wanted to stop Wesker but his parents helped design this place. It makes sense that he would snap here, wouldn't it?"

"What happened to his parents?" David asks.

"They were killed by Umbrella assassins. So, he killed the assassins and joined the company in an attempt to bring it down," she explains.

"Who were the assassins?" Jill asks.

Ada doesn't answer. She turns away from us and mumbles that we should keep moving. We still need to find out if Wesker is here or not, after all.

After some searching we find another door, next to a large trapdoor that rank of decaying corpses. Mari looks away instantly, her face pale but her eyes steady. She looks at me and nods in an assuring way.

We walk through the door, crowded together as we walk. This hallway, unlike the last one, is normal and peaceful. The carpet is faded but still has a slight red tint to it and the walls have faded pictures hanging on them. I notice everybody, including myself, relaxes slightly. However, I notice that they're all still listening for the giggling dolls.

"We have to find the others," Carlos states. He's again carrying David with Barry helping him and I notice that David looks hurt and insulted.

"You really didn't think he was a bad guy of some sort?" I ask gently. "The guy just screamed bad guy!"

Surprisingly, the others laugh. Even Ada laughs at my comment and I find myself becoming confused. What was funny?

"He did" agrees Rebecca. "I mean, come on. The hair just screamed bad guy! Slicked back and all stylish? Who does that when they're going on a mission?"

"Wesker," Jill growls, even though she's still smiling.

"Exactly," Rebecca laughs.

Ada grabs my arm and stops me. I look at her calmly enough, though I can see fear in her eyes. What's wrong, now?

"Leon, we need to find Wesker fast," she whispers urgently. "We're running out of time."

I see the worry in her eyes and I feel her fear radiating off of her. She's right though. Wesker will leave this place if he hasn't already. But that means we'll have to leave the others to find Chris, Claire, and John on their own.

"What can we do?" I ask softly. I glance at the others but they're still walking, even though they've gotten about ten feet away. "Where would he be?"

"I don't know," she admits, looking away.

"Do you know the design of the building?"

"Not really," she mumbles. A few seconds of silence and her eyes brighten suddenly. "The towers! I remember that. The main lab that was used to examine the Progenitor. We could check there."

"How do we get there?" I look around for an exit into the main part of the castle.

"There's hidden door at the top of the staircase. A ladder leads up to the main tower that overlooks the forest," she explains.

"Okay. Should we tell them?"

"Yeah. You tell them."

I nod in agreement and I jog to catch up to the others. "Guys, wait!" I call. They stop and Jill steps towards me. "Ada and I have to go find Wesker. And I know you guys want to as well but only a few of us can go. Find Chris and the others and get out of here. We'll have to wait for the airship to return to us."

Jill looks like she wants to argue but instead she just sighs and bobs her head up and down. "Okay. We'll keep going down here, since something might have happened to Chris and company like what happened to us. Good luck. And I swear to God, if you guys don't kill that asshole, I'm gonna kick your asses."

"You can try," Ada retorts. Jill grins at her before they continue down the hallway.

"How are we going to get to the entrance?" I ask, looking around.

"The easiest way," she says.

She brushes her fingers over a large picture of a man, woman, and child. I recognize a very young Trent. The picture collapses to the ground and a large panel of wood opens, revealing an elevator like thing. It's one of those pulley elevators too, since there's a large rope hanging down by the far wall. And it's big enough to fit Ada and me comfortably.

"Wow, this is like one of those old movies full of secret passage ways and everything," I laugh.

She grins as well, before stepping in. As she presses herself against the wall, I step in. She grabs the rope and so do I and, without really trying, we work harmoniously, dragging the elevator up. I try to breathe calmly but the air is incredibly stale.

"They made these things to move around the house easier. The one leading up to the lab will be much bigger and it's electrical, so we don't have to do this," she grunts, breathing heavily. I see the strain this is putting on her.

"You know, I've decided that you're pretty much better at everything than me but at least I'm stronger than you," I remark. She glares at me dangerously. "Can't handle the truth?"

"I really am going to kill you in your sleep," she snarls but a smile flickers across her lips.

I laugh but I'm silenced by the elevator jerking to a halt. Ada pushes against the wall that's not part of the elevator. It opens and we step out into the entrance. We step out and I take in a large breath of air that's flowing in from the open door.

She starts off for the stairs instantly, when I find myself worrying about the others. She stops at the base of the stairs, since I haven't followed her.

"Worried about them?"

"Yeah… But I know they can handle themselves. Let's go," I state, joining her and taking the stairs two at a time.

I notice a large picture I'd given no attention to earlier. It, like the other, is a family portrait, again of Trent and his family. Trent's a little older here, about ten or eleven.

"Help me push it," Ada says.

I join her and we push the picture out of the way. It falls away from us and lands with a loud plunk, throwing a shower of dust over Ada and me. In seconds Ada's hair goes from being black to a light dusty brown.

As she runs her hands through her hair to clean out the dust, the elevator starts down. I hear the gears creaking and a loud clanking sound makes me look up. Ada just looks over at me.

"You're not afraid of elevators, are you?" she teases, smiling.

"No, not usually. I don't like elevators that sound like this one, though," I state.

"Aw, don't worry. I'll protect you."

"How?"

"I don't honestly know. Just accept my protection and don't question it!"

With a laugh I look at the elevator that has stopped. It's larger than the other one and I see lights shining off of the wall closest to me. Ada steps in, gun in hand, before looking around. I join her, not waiting for her to tell me if it's safe or not. I honestly don't care if it is or not. I just want out of this mansion.

Ada presses a couple buttons and the elevator starts up with a jerk. It's slow though, incredibly slow.

The dark wood stinks of wet animal and I can see marks and scratches in the wood. Dolls, marionettes, the Hookman; I really don't want to know what they made with animals.

"What are we going to do?" I ask, glancing at her. She looks thoughtful for a second until she lifts her head and glares at the panel next to me. "What's wrong?"

"Nothing," she lies.

"Bullshit. I'm not stupid. Ignorant, naïve, and a bunch of others but I'm not stupid."

She glares at me coldly for a second before looking away again. What's going on? Five minutes ago she was being as friendly as ever but now she was cold and distant, like the old Ada.

The elevator jolts and I see Ada's face remain emotionless. I fear that something bad is happening. Is this a trap? Is she seriously betraying me?

"What's going on?" I ask, staring at her.

"Nothing. Stop asking, when you already know the answer," she coldly replies.

The elevator jerks again, except this time I feel the wood under my boots giving out. Shit…

I see Ada turn away from me, a tear on her cheek, as the entire left half of the elevator gives out and sends me plummeting below.

--

It's pitch black around me, but I can hear giggles. I try to move but pain forces me to stay still. I look around, hoping that my eyes will readjust. But they don't. And if I'm at the bottom of the elevator and somebody replaced the picture, then I'm pretty much dead.

Guess that's what I get, trusting her….

I feel something brush my arm and I realize that it's a doll. I feel a tiny wooden hand on the bandages on my right arm and I feel feet tapping at my left arm. Joy. I get to be killed by dolls.

And then one tugs at my shirt, in a way that told me to sit up. The dolls move out of my way as I lift myself up, pain tearing through my side with a ferocity that made me clench my teeth.

Sitting up, I look at where I guess the dolls to be and I try to mumble thanks. Instead, I break into a coughing frenzy that hurts like hell. I check my side and I feel blood. A rib or two might be broken but I've dealt with worse.

"Thank you," I finally cough out, holding my side.

The dolls have crowded around me again and one presses something cold into my forearm. I take it and I realize it's my lighter. I open it and ignite the flame, illuminating part of the empty elevator shaft. At least twelve dolls surround me.

"Why are you helping me?" I ask, clenching my teeth against the pain in my side.

The dolls just stare at me and I realize how stupid I am. They're dolls. They can't speak. Maybe Ada's right to think I'm an idiot.

Then one points at the wall next to me. I look over and use the lighter to see.

Scribbles cover the wall and I have to really focus to read them.

_Why won't they let us out? What's the Pro-gen-i-tor? Why did they take the dolls away? Where did Harold go? Why do they keep taking the dolls away?_

"Kids? They were experimenting on kids?" I ask. Not surprising. An old friend of mine told me about the mission I sent him on. Apparently, the entire base was dedicated to taking a hormone or something like that from the kids so they could create tyrants faster.

A female doll nods, suddenly, startling me. "But what about you guys? You were the dolls?"

The dolls nods again and points at the ground. I flinch and look away as soon as I see small bones littering the floor about a foot away from my boots.

"What do you expect me to do? I'm kinda stuck, if you can't tell," I state. I can't believe I'm talking to dolls. I've gone insane. Oh well.

The dolls move closer to me and I watch them unhappily. Maybe that was not such a good idea. Then the one who'd nodded at me, points at the wall. I see a ladder and I realize they expect me to climb that and get out of here.

"Okay… Who put the picture back in place?"

The doll steps forward and points at the scribbles. Her finger lands on the name Harold. Then she steps away and looks at me.

"Who's that?" I ask.

Another doll steps forward and holds his hands up, in the shape of hooks.

"The Hookman? He's an adult though."

The dolls nod.

"So, he helped the kids or something?"

They nod again.

"Alright… I guess I'll go… Even if I don't know what you want me to do…"

The dolls look at me before another male one grabs a second male, this one a rare sight out of all the brown wood. Its hair is painted blond. The first doll acts like he's killing the second one. You've got to be kidding me...

"You expect me, a human, to go after Wesker?!" I laugh. The dolls nod. Their eyes narrow angrily at me and I frown. "Fine, fine. I'll go after him. I can't promise that I'll be able to kill him but I'll try."

The dolls become excited, jumping up and down happily. Most of them start clapping and I force myself to my feet.

I lean against the wall with the ladder and I feel blood rushing down my side. Closing the lighter, I grab onto the rungs and I pull myself up.

The elevator is about thirty-five feet up so I was lucky the ride had just started when my side collapsed. Speaking of which, why had it collapsed?

"Shit," I breathe. The pain's getting worse and I feel my right arm itching as well. Are you seriously going to start hurting arm? As if… Okay. I'm going nuts. I just spoke to my arm.

I'm about halfway when I hear a sound below me. I look down and I see the Hookman towering over the dolls. Oddly, even after the hell they caused, I want to stop and help but I know I'll never start again if I do.

I finally reach the elevator and I grab the wood on the edge, where Ada had been standing. With unknown will and strength, I pull myself into the elevator and fall face first against the wood.

I feel blood soaking around me and I begin to get lightheaded, but I force myself to my feet and I stumble out of the elevator, smashing into the wall beyond it.

I stand straight and I look at the dust below my boots. Two sets of tracks lead off, one male and the other female, since the boots have heels. Wesker and Ada. At least Wesker's tracks are older. Maybe she's not a bad guy…

I have to stop lying to myself.

I start off down the hallway, when I hear the sound of metal tearing through wood. I turn and fall, landing on my back as a hook sails over me. The Hookman advances slowly, his eyes focused on mine.

I grab my gun and I force myself to aim. I pull the trigger once and it's... empty? That's not good. I lunge to my feet and I sprint away from the monster, letting adrenaline fuel me as I run. I still feel the pain in my side but it doesn't really hurt. For now.

I hear the Hookman slowly trailing me and I see something. A door. A steel door.

I slam into the doors, forcing them open before I use every ounce of strength in my body to close them. When I'm certain they're closed, I fall against them, sitting with my back against the doors. I realize I've reached the labs.

I'm half-dead, maybe asleep, when I hear footsteps. A tiny man halts when he sees me but he makes no move towards a gun or alarm. Good, I give up.

"Who are you?" the man asks, his voice high-pitched.

"Leon…" I mumble.

"What happened to you?"

"Fell out of an elevator…"

He remains silent at this, before he steps towards me. Black replaces the white of the room and I feel myself fall.

--

I wake in the same position I passes out in, but I feel new bandages wrapped around my wounded side. I growl angrily as I pick myself up. I stand and I look around. My shirt lies next to me, so I grab it and put it back on.

The man walks back into the room and stops, watching me.

"I'm not going to hurt you," I mumble. "Who are you?

"I'm Danny Maricon… I work for Wesker," he states, his voice quaking.

"Of course," I groan.

"But I know who you are! You're here to stop him. You're with S.T.A.R.S., right?" he asks, hopeful.

"I'm here to stop him, yes, but I'm no with S.T.A.R.S."

"Oh, my apologies… If you want Wesker, he's through there. He's talking with some woman, I think."

Danny points at a door on the other side of the room. I start towards it. Danny follows.

"You coming with?"

"I want to see him fall," he admits softly.

I nod in agreement and we go through the door. I reload my gun, staring at the pistol. This wouldn't do anything. It's just a pistol. Hell, Chris told me what happened in Antarctica.

As we walk, I hear voices. Ada's and one I've never heard but I can tell is Wesker because of the tone. The tone that says, 'I think I'm better than everybody, especially you.'

"How are you going to fight him? You were hurt pretty bad," Danny mumbles.

I have to wonder if he's concerned for me or for himself. Maybe both.

"This whole situation is getting out of hand," Wesker states coldly.

"And that's my problem?" Ada asks.

Danny stops suddenly and I see why. The Hookman has returned. He enters our section of the room with ease, holding the hooks and ready to kill us. Oh well, here goes nothing. Then the scientist does something surprising. He throws a jar at the creature and I see a yellowish liquid splash over the Hookman. Danny pulls me back and I watch in shock as acid eats away at the man's body.

Holes and tears appear in his flesh as the acid does what sulfuric acid is known to do. It destroys him completely. Soon, all that remains is the hooks that are soon eaten away as well.

"It seems we have guests," Wesker states. Danny and I walk forward. Ada looks at me but I don't look at her. Instead I stare at Wesker. "Ah, Mr. Kennedy. I've wanted to speak to you for some time now. And Daniel, betraying me is not a good idea."

Danny flinches and steps closer to me. Great. Just great. My only help is deathly afraid of this asshole.

"Wanted to walk to me, huh?" I ask bitterly.

"Yes. Why, do you not believe me?"

"I don't believe anything you say," I admit. Wesker stares at me, or at least I think he is, since his face is pointed in my direction. Damn sunglasses.

"That's too bad. I guess you won't believe me when I say I want you to join Umbrella. After all, we could use a man of your…talent."

"You're right. I don't believe you. But why would I join your company anyway? It's falling apart anyway. Hell, half the kids on this planet don't even know what Umbrella was. And you must mean my uncanny ability to stay alive, no matter what."

Wesker scowls angrily. Why do I always manage to piss people off?

"Let me guess, you thought you could walk in here and kill me, correct?" Wesker laughs.

"Nope. I knew I couldn't. But I don't really care." It's not like I really have anything to live for now.

Wesker raises an eyebrow and I resist the urge to shoot him. What good would that do anyway? The blond starts forward and Danny scrambles away from me. Wesker stops about a foot away from me.

I want to laugh because I'm almost as tall as him and he's trying to literally look down on me. I manage to hold his gaze calmly, though in reality I can't believe I'm standing up to him like this.

"You're a fool," he suddenly growls. I stare at him. "You think that heroes will win? They won't."

"Again. I don't care. I didn't come here to win. I honestly don't care if I die. As long as I insult you, I don't care about dieing."

Wesker smirks coldly before he rams into me. I crash to the floor and he grabs me by the throat. Unfortunately for him, I'm not stupid. I slam by boots into his chest and kick him away from me. I land ungracefully on my side but I'm up in an instant, as is Wesker.

He glares at me and I realize I'd knocked his sunglasses off. His cat-like eyes glare at me in hatred.

"Sorry about the shades man but you need to learn not to get attached," I remark. He tackles me again. He practically pushes me into the Hookman's body but I manage to stop myself.

"You're an idiot," I snarl suddenly.

I shove my weight into him and I manage to throw him away from me. That's when I hear the giggles.

"I'm the idiot?" Wesker laughs as he stands.

"Yeah. I may have done some stupid shit in my life but I never thought I could play God. You think you're a god. You're not."

This time he moves too fast for me and he shoves me into a wall. He has a vice-like grip on my throat but I don't bother to struggle. I see Danny cowering next to us and I'm glad that he looks like he wants to help but I know he can't.

"You're more of a fool than Chris," Wesker growls. "You should've stayed at home and acted like the good lapdog you are."

I'm about to retort when somebody slams into Wesker and I fall to the ground. Ada stumbles past Wesker and holds her shoulder. I see blood soaking her shirt from her gunshot wound.

"How pathetic," Wesker laughs. "Star-crossed lovers are going to die together."

"I disagree Wesker," Ada states calmly, though her face is pale from how much blood she has lost.

Wesker starts forward and basically disappears. He grabs her by the throat and starts to choke her. She flails and instead of seeing Wesker, I see the tyrant that followed me through Raccoon. I see her and the tyrant and I lunge. She's not dieing again.

Wesker tries to stop me but I feel other forms pushing him as well, until we finally reach the wall. Ada's coughing violently behind me but she seems to be okay otherwise. I step away from Wesker as he fights at least forty of the killer dolls and I return to Ada's side, limping from the pain in my side.

That's when I see the jar in her right hand. It's the sulfuric acid. She tries to stand but her legs give out. I kneel next to her. She hands me the jar with shaking hands.

"Put it in his jacket and then shoot it. We have to get out of here," she wheezes.

"Self-destruct been activated?" I ask. She laughs and nods weakly. Then I feel a hand on my arm.

It's the female doll and she's staring up at me. I hand her the jar and I hear Danny move over to us as well.

I see Danny extend his hand to me. "I was a really good shot when I was a teen. You two need to get out of here. I can handle this..." I understand what he's doing. Even if he made it out of here alive, he would be hunted down by the gorvernment. I suppose dieing here is a better idea than spending his life in prison.

I nod at him in thanks and I hand him my pistol. I lift Ada up in my arms, again carrying her bridal style, and I start for the exit. I see the dolls surrounding Wesker, managing to keep him pinned, and I see Danny walking over. I see the female doll clambering up Wesker's chest and other dolls attacking his hands. Then we're through the doors and I hear a deafening gunshot. Then comes a loud shattering noise, followed by the happy clapping of the dolls. Then we're through the doors and heading towards the elevator and I hear Wesker laughing insanely.

"He was nuts," Ada breathes, resting her head against my chest.

"Yeah," I breathe in agreement. I listen to the laughter until it suddenly stops and the castle is silent.

I enter the elevator and I press the buttons and it slowly starts down. Ada mumbles sorry and I just shake my head, replying that there's nothing to be sorry about and that she can explain herself later.

I don't care if she gives me answers. We've been through too much for me to honestly care about her answering my questions anymore. I just want the two of us to get out of this mansion alive.


	19. Escape

Hero

I had set Ada down about four minutes ago because my side was starting to act up. We stand, more like lean against one another, waiting for the elevator to come to a stop. The elevator is agonizingly slow, taunting us as the building threatens to crumble.

It finally stops with a jerk that unbalances us but we quickly regain our footing. We step forward and push on the back of the picture. Right as it falls away, something lands next to my foot. It's the female doll.

Ada looks down before looking back up at me. She looks confused but I just grab the doll and I start for the stairs. Ada follows me without asking.

The house rumbles and I see pictures falling off their walls. Ignoring that, we take the stairs two at a time, until we feel solid ground below us.

I let the doll go and she heads for the doors. As if she's worried about something, she begins to wave her hand, motioning for us to hurry. So, we do.

The cool forest air washes over us as we stumble through the huge doors. I almost fall to my knees as the pain in my side starts acting up again, but I manage to keep steady. I see Ada place a hand on her wounded and bleeding shoulder and look around. A thick fog has rolled in, as if things weren't spooky enough.

The doors creak loudly behind us, the doll somehow closing them with an unnatural strength. I'm confused and a little sad. She had helped me, killer doll or not.

"She must be preventing anything from leaving," Ada mumbles.

"Yeah," I agree. I take one last look at the doors as they close completely.

"Guys!" a young male voice shouts followed by a younger female voice shouting:

"Du zwei bist gut! Danken Gott!" (You two are alright! Thank God!)

Justin and Mari run over to us and Mari grabs Ada's free hand. While tugging slightly, not enough to hurt Ada's shoulder anymore than it is, she points towards an object barely visible through the fog. It's the airship!

"Come on! He came early, says he always does! But he says he's going to leave you guys here," Justin warns.

Together, the four of us run over to the airship and enter it. The others look up as we enter and I notice two others sitting near them. I'm guessing it's the other two kids.

The airship jerks suddenly as it starts off into the air. The mansion suddenly crumbles into itself with a loud boom. The airship shakes a bit because of the aftershock but the pilot keeps it going stedy.

Ada and I sit down in the seats closest to the entrance. Rebecca looks like she wants to help us but she doesn't move. In fact, she looks afraid.

"They won't tell us what's wrong…" Justin admits as he sits next to Ada.

"Sie fanden Papiere nahe Gustav und Cassandra und haben seit dem sonderbar fungiert," Mari mumbles.

I look at Ada who translates, stating, "She said they found papers near Gustav and Cassandra and have been acting weird since then."

"Do you know what kind of papers they were?" I ask.

Justin and Mari shake their heads, but Mari points at the other two teens and mumbles, "Gustav und Cassandra tun. Sie lasen die Papiere, bevor deine Freunde taten. Sie sprechen nicht mit uns zwar."

"She said Gustav and Cassandra do, since they read the papers before our friends did. But they won't speak to these two."

I frown but Justin walks over to the other teens and speaks to them. The other two looks at him unhappily before nodding their heads and walking over to us.

"What did the papers say?" Justin asks, sitting down.

"A bunch of stuff," the girl mumbles, staring at her finger nails.

Ada rests her head on my shoulder and I can see a steady flow of blood spilling over her hand. She needs help and so do I…

"Like what?" I ask.

"Stuff. I don't know. They talked about some chick," the girl states, staring at me.

"It said she killed somebody when she was really young. Like nine or something. She killed these guys after her parents were killed by this other guy," the boy states, a slight German accent evident in his voice.

I don't miss Ada tensing up.

"Yeah. Something like the girl's parents killed the boy's parents so he killed her parents with some help and then she killed the help," the girl agrees.

Mari and Justin look over at me and I see the S.T.A.R.S. staring at us. Shit…

"That story sounds oddly familiar to the story you told David and them. Doesn't it?" John growls. Ada doesn't even say anything.

"I keep on telling them it wasn't you," Jill promises.

"Why? It was me," Ada mumbles. She's still holding her shoulder but by the way her grip is beginning to relax, I can tell she's falling asleep.  
I see Jill's face go from worried to shocked. "What?"

"I killed Trent's help and I told him I'd kill him, too," Ada replies.

"You're a fuckin' murderer!" John shouts.

"And he wasn't? He would've killed me, too, had I not attacked his help. He would've murdered a nine year old girl."

"So what! You didn't need to kill them!" John snaps.

Ada shrugs and then flinches. John stands up and so does Chris. I gently move Ada and I mumble that I'll be right back and I stand as well. My side gives off another burst of pain but I know my ribs aren't broken. Just badly bruised.

"Stop!" Barry shouts. Carlos and Billy get up and stand between us. "This is ridiculous!"

"No, I'm not letting her stay near us. If she did that when she was nine, what could she do now?" Chris snarls.  
"A lot," I snap. "I know this first hand, don't I? Since before this, I was the only one who knew about her. Since I've worked with her."

"Then you should know that we have to get rid of her," John snaps.

"No, we don't. You want to because you're afraid that a woman will beat you. And you, well, you seem unable to accept her help. And I don't even know why…"

Jill joins Billy and Carlos. Then Barry, then Rebecca, and finally David. They seem to form a protective wall between Ada and the others.

I practically fall as soon as I realize Ada's safe. I stumble back over to her and I take my seat.

"Your side?" Ada asks.

"Yeah… I must've landed on something when I fell," I mumble.

"…I'm sorry…" she whispers.

"All I want to know is why?" I admit.

"At first I was going to stay with you," she promises. "But then the elevator started breaking and I didn't want you to get hurt, just like last time…. Except this time, we were going up aginst Weske who's just...too much... So, I didn't say anything about the elevator. I knew you wouldn't die from the fall… And…well, I wanted Wesker to think I was still on his side. That this whole thing was a trap for you and them…"

"You could've warned me," I remark and I hope she hears the joking tone in my voice. "I landed in a pit of dolls. Not so fun."

She laughs weakly and I see the kids looking at us. Mari smiles at me pleasantly and Justin coughs, before leading the group of teens away from us. Rebecca walks over to us.

"You're bullet wound is acting up again?" she asks. Ada nods. "Why, what did you do?"

That's when I realize they don't know Wesker's dead. Ada just shrugs, flinches, and looks away.

"Okay. I'll go get my kit and I'll be right back," the medic calmly states, walking off. She apparently understands that Ada doesn't really want to talk.

"You didn't tell her about Wesker," I mumble.

"You should. You, that scientist, and those dolls killed him," she mumbles.

I'm about to say that she helped when David asks, "Killed who?"

Everybody turns to look at us. And I decide to lie. She deserves it after all. And it's not like she didn't help. How else would her shoulder have been hurt, not to mention the bruises that are beginning to appear on her neck.

"Ada killed Wesker," I bluntly state.

I see Claire's jaw drop and Chris looks petrified. Maybe it's because he wanted to be the one to kill Wesker, which I understand. Was it really that important though?

"How?" Barry asks, though his face is happy and excited.

"Well, the dolls weren't so evil and Ada managed to get Wesker pinned by them. Then, she used that jar of sulfuric acid on him. Simple as that," I explain. It's not too different from the truth. Not really, even if I had left Danny and me out.

"Why? Why would you want to kill him?" Claire asks.

Ada stares at her for a second but doesn't honor her with an answer. Jill walks over to us and offers Ada a light hug, careful not to hurt her.

"Thank you," Jill mumbles. It sounds like she's going to cry.

"Congrats, you killed the bastard that has made life a living hell," David agrees. I can feel Ada shaking her head lightly.

As the attention on her fades away, Ada mumbles, "I'll remember that, Leon."

"Oh well," I sigh.

Rebecca walks back over to us and kneels in front of Ada. She checks her shoulder and places a compress on the wound, telling Ada to hold it there.

I look out the window and I see that we're already at the man's house again. Thank God…

Justin, Mari, Gustav, and Cassandra are the first ones off the airship, followed by Ada and me. Rebecca told us that Ada needed to get to a hospital for some reason and even though that seemed to anger Ada, she agreed.

"I called in some cabs to pick you guys up," the pilot states, walking over to us. His eyes fall on Ada and they widen in shock but he doesn't say anything.

As the cabs arrive, I notice that Ada is half-asleep while she's leaning on me and that everybody seems a little happier now that Wesker is officially dead. I feel myself, for the first time in six years, truly relax.

--

"So, why didn't you go and get checked by the doctors? I can tell your side is hurt," Jill remarks.

"I can't stand hospitals," I mumble. "And I don't need them to tell me my side is bruised."

"How do you know it's not something worse?" Jill asks.

"I wouldn't have been able to stay awake if ribs were broken," I reply.

She looks at me for a second longer before shrugging and turning back to Rebecca. Rebecca looks up as a doctor walks up to her.

"Hola, Senorita. Tu amiga estás muy bien y puedes ir a casa inmediatamente. De hecho, pienso que ella debe. Ella amenazó matar a alguien anterior. Ella es perfectamente fina, de todas formas. Aunque ella tendrá que tomar cuidado de ese hombro durante algún tiempo," he kindly states. All I know is I understood that Ada tried to kill somebody. Not surprising.

"He says she's fine and that we can take her home now. Oh, she will have to take care of her shoulder for a while," Rebecca says.

Jill stands to go and get her and I laugh. Rebecca didn't want to say the whole, she tried to kill somebody.

They return about four minutes later with Ada in tow and Chris and I stand. Chris had joined us, though he'd said nothing the entire time. Ada looks at me and I smirk at her.

"He shouldn't have gotten so close to me," she states.

Jill looks at us and I shrug. She just rolls her eyes and walks away. The five of us leave the hospital and walk over to the black cars waiting for us. Freakin' CIA, always using the typical black.

Ada and I settle into the last of the five cars and they start off towards the airport that will be taking us home.

"We'll be arriving at the Barajas Airport in seven minutes. Glad to be going home, Agent Kennedy?" the driver asks.

"Well, it'll be less exciting than killer parasites and living dolls, but I'm glad to be going home," I reply. The man smirks and I have to wonder if he thinks I'm crazy. However, I find that I honestly don't care. Zombies, parasites, and dolls. Wow, I have a weird life.

--

The plane that was taking us home was also taking Mari, Gustav, Justin, and Cassandra as well. Apparently, Mari's family lived in the U.S.

Like last time, as the President had promised, we're settled onto a 747. Ada, Jill, and I sit next to one another and everybody else sits around us. I see Rebecca looking around.

"It's not even the same plane, Rebecca," Billy promises.

"So?" Rebecca asks.

"I want to know how they got on the plane," Jill admits.

"Who cares? It's over. Leave it alone," Carlos admits, relaxing.

"I agree," David mumbles.

A silence falls over us as the plane starts down the runway. Ada grips my hand tightly but I don't mind. I've dealt with worse. Instead, I look out the window. What was the President going to say?

"What about Spencer?" Jill suddenly asks.

"We'll have to deal with him some other time," Ada states.

Jill nods and lays back. I see Chris give her a look but I'm unable to read what kind of look it is.

Ada leans against me and whispers, "What will we do when we get home?"

"I don't know, why?" I ask as softly as possible.

"Do you have any plans?"

"No… Why?" What is going through her head?

"Just curious."

"No, you're not."

"What, I can't be curious? That hurts me, Leon. That truly does," she teases.

I look at her and she laughs, looking down. "As I said, I'm just being curious. Now go to sleep."

"Yes, sir!" I reply.

She laughs again before laying her head on my shoulder. I see Jill staring at Chris but neither of them says anything to the other, even though they're kind of staring at each other.

I lean backwards and I find myself thinking of Raccoon City. I don't know why but I see the faces of zombies and other terrifying monsters. Then I see Ada, smiling at me as I help her up a ledge in a polite gesture. In fact, that's the last thing I see as I fall asleep and that's not a bad image to fall asleep to.


	20. Hawaii sounds nice

Hero

The President greets us at the airport. He's smiling and looks much better than the last time we spoke to him. Instead of looking worried about Ashley, he looks like the President should; steady, calm, and ready.

"It's good to have you all back," he says, grinning as he shakes my hand.

"It's good to be back," Jill admits, stretching her arms out.

"I can only imagine. Come, let's go back to the White House and relax."

We follow him to a set of limos and his personal one that are waiting at the curb. People gape at the sight of the President walking among a group of blood splattered people. I guess I would too, though.

We wave good-bye to the kids, who get their own limo that will take them home. They look truly happy for the first time since we'd met them, which is a good thing. Mari pushes Justin out of the way and sticks her head out the window, shouting, "Auf Wiedersehen! Und soviel danke meine Freunde!" as the car pulled away. (Goodbye! And thank you so much, my friends!)

Ada smiles and shouts, "Du bist Willkommen, kleines!" (You're welcome, little one!)

I smirk at her and we walk over to the limos. Carlos practically runs to his and opens the door as fast as he can.

"Aw, this feels nice!" Carlos laughs as soon as he's in a limo. Ada and I smirk at him as we join the President in his personal limo. Chris, Jill, and Claire join us.

"Well, we have some things to discuss. More like people to discuss. You'll all be given a free ride and a free house for helping me and my daughter. Where would you like to live?"

Chris looks at the President in shock, before stammering, "Uh, how about somewhere peaceful?"

"Hawaii?" Claire asks hopefully.

"Hawaii sounds perfect," agrees Jill. "I've always wanted to go there."

"Which island? Oahu? Maui?"

"Oahu," Ada states. "I've always really wanted to see Pearl Harbor."

"Definitely," Jill agrees. The President smirks at us.

"Should we confirm it with your friends?" Graham asks.

"The only one who has to do anything is Barry. He'll have to get his family. Otherwise I'm certain everybody is fine with the idea," Chris remarks.

The President nods and the limo slows. I see the White House looming in front of us and I see Graham smirk faintly. He looks over at me.

"Feel good to be home?" he asks.

"Yeah, it does," I admit.

We climb out of the vehicle and I see Carlos lurch forward. He's shouting something that I can't quite understand and I see the President smirking at the younger man. Barry and John pick Carlos up but all three are smiling.

"What was that all about?" Jill asks.

"He's just so glad to be home, he wanted to hug the White House. I think he's ill," David explains.

"No, he's just Carlos," Jill remarks. Ada laughs and Rebecca nods in agreement.

"Good point," David states.

We walk into the massive house and I'm greeted by Ashley, who steps in front of my path. I stop suddenly and Ada slams into my back. Ashley laughs before she grins and starts speaking.

"I'm so glad you guys are home! I was so worried and then Daddy said you were coming home and I was so happy and excited!"

Carlos gapes at the girl and Billy flinches, covering his ears with his hands. I see Jill roll her eyes and smack Carlos while Rebecca peels Billy's hands away from his ears.

"Ashley, why don't you go and grab our guests for me and I'll take Agent Kennedy, Miss Wong, Mr. Redfield, and Miss Valentine to the Oval Office. The rest of you may make yourselves at home," the President offers.

The others nod and Chris, Jill, Ada, and I follow the President and his two guards to his office. Ada and I sit down this time. Chris stands near the President's desk and Jill sits down on the couch across from Ada and me.

"Okay, so what happened in Spain?" Graham asks.

"Well, instead of going to the village we went to a mansion that was used before the Raccoon City incident. We found out that Trent was nuts all along and we ended up having to kill him. Then Ada killed Wesker," Jill explains.

Graham raises an eyebrow and Ada lowers her gaze. "Good job then, Miss Wong."

She nods in thanks but doesn't raise her head. Jill looks over at her in confusion, before looking at me. I shrug, hoping that she'll ask questions later.

"Okay, tell me. Is Umbrella a threat?" We look at the President in silence. "Do we have to worry about Umbrella threatening America or any other country?"

"No. Only Corporation S," Ada states.

"And this corporation, is it in America?"

Ada looks down for a second, apparently remembering something, before she says, "Only two or three buildings. They don't have any of Umbrella's commercial success."

President Graham nodded faintly, looking over us. "I'm guessing you don't want to do this anymore."

"Ada took my glory," Chris mumbles but I hear the joking undertone. He pauses before stating, "We just want to have a relaxing life, sir."

Graham nods in agreement, pulling out a few papers, as he states, "Good. Because I wasn't going to let your team do anything anyway. Too sloppy. Too slow."

Chris stares at the President in shock but I see the smirk. He's cheating for us.

"Consider this my final, legal, favor for you Agent Kennedy," the President says as he hands Chris a paper.

Chris walks over to us, his face jumbled with emotions. A quick glance over the paper shows me that he not only gave us the house and ride but he just gave us freedom from ever helping the government again.

"Make sure you keep a hold of that thing. Never knew we had it until I was searching for Ashley. Found it in a closet," Graham laughs.

Ada smirks at him before looking over the paper. That's when I notice her name. Special Agent Ada Wong. What?

"You'll have to give me your friends' names so I can add them to the list," Graham reminds. Chris nods and walks back over to him, naming our friends. Jill stares at Ada.

"Special Agent? You're with the government?" she asks. Ada nods faintly. Jill laughs in shock, before shaking her head. "Why didn't you say so? The others might not have treated you like they did had you said something!"

Ada shrugged, asking, "Would you honestly believe me if I just randomly said I was with a secret group in the government? A group none of you have ever even heard of?" Well, that is a good point. They would've thought she was lying.

"Probably not. But still!" Jill shouts.

"Alright, we're all set. Ashley should be arriving any-"

"I'm here! Sorry it took me so long. They didn't want to leave the kitchen," the blonde says as she trots in, followed by several people, including-

"Hunnigan!" Jill shouts. The three of us stand and Chris walks over. Sure enough, it's a very battered and tired looking Hunnigan.

"I managed to get some men out to Paris and look for her. She was with several others, who were looking for you, Miss Wong. I told them they shouldn't bother but it turns out they were Corporation S men so we held them in custody. We have their leader here," Graham explains.

Sure enough, the man from the other night stands before us and next to him is a man in a gas mask.

"And Agent HUNK offered to join us when you were at the mansion. Apparently he believed that you would kill Wesker and that he would do better working in the government than evil corporations," Graham continues.

"So, you're not going to try and kill us?" Chris asks the two men.

HUNK shrugs and the other man, Davis I think Ada called him, shakes his head slowly.

"You threatened Spencer somehow. He's backing off. Good job. Somebody finally managed to scare that old freak," Davis mumbles.

Chris frowns but doesn't seem to be worried about them attacking us. Maybe it's because of the Secret Service men standing in the room. Or maybe it's something else. I don't care either way.

"Okay, let's go join the others," Graham states.

As we return to the entrance, I see Ada looking oddly distant before she looks over at me. She smiles at me and asks, "What? Can't I daydream?"

"No. That's illegal," I state, even though I have no idea where that came from.

"Oh yes, didn't you know about that law?" Jill laughs. Ada just shakes her head at us.

We enter the entrance to see the whole team asleep on the floor. Chris walks over to Barry and nudges his shoulder but the big man doesn't move.

"Didn't I tell them they had free reign over the house?" Graham asks.

"Sure. That doesn't mean these lazy asses are going to try and go somewhere else," Jill growls as she walks over to Carlos. I feel bad for him especially when she threatens to step on him. Apparently Carlos is used to this because he suddenly shouts at her to leave him alone.

"Very interesting," Barry mumbles as he sits up.

"So, you all want to go to Hawaii?" Chris asks. Barry stares at him but it's Rebecca who speaks.

"And how would we get there? Maybe you don't remember but we were struggling for money," the young girl reminds.

"Not with the President backing us, we're not," Jill remarks. Chris hands the paper to Barry who looks like he's going to cry.

"And I can bring my family?" he asks.

"Of course. Give us an address and we'll pick them up in a helicopter and take them to Hawaii on a different plane," the President promises.

"And what about our jobs?" John asks.

"What about them? You're on permanent vacation. Sure, you'll probably want jobs once you get to Hawaii, but otherwise we're giving you guys a lifetime vacation for protecting the United States against bioterrorism."

Everybody stops questioning. Instead we turn to one another and Carlos jumps to his feet. "We're going to Hawaii!" he cries and everybody else cheers in agreement.

--the next day--

"This place is awesome," Carlos laughs as we walk through the massive airport.

"Leon, look at this," Ada calls, pointing to a massive engine. "It's for one of the old battleships."

"Man, I'm afraid that thing is going to fall on us," John laughs. Several others laugh as well, though I see Billy step away from the huge piece of machinery.

I look around and I see the display of the USS Arizona. Not to mention the pond that sits in the center of the airport.

"This place is so peaceful," Jill admits. She was right. Compared to the other airports we'd been to recently, this was very peaceful. Maybe it was the fact that there were very few people. Or the fact that we didn't have Umbrella constantly hanging over our shoulders.

"I dare somebody to jump in that thing," John says, pointing at the pond.

"You do that and Hawaiian officials are going to try and murder you," warns Chris.

John stares at him for a second, until Jill asks, "So where's our house?"

"I just got off the phone with my wife. She said that they were in a condo at the moment. She said we get like ten to ourselves. They're pretty nice according to her."

"Ten? Holly shit man!" John laughs. He's excited about this.

"Yeah and even better, there's a bit of a crime problem there. So not only do we get to enjoy Hawaii but we also get to scare some dumbasswannabe thieves out of the area," Barry laughs.

"Think the President did that on purpose?" Ada asks.

"More than likely," I state. "Can't let us get bored over here."

The others grin in agreement and Chris points outside. "Our cars have arrived."

"Are they rentals?" David asks.

"Nope. Their ours," Chris states proudly. "And he gave us a list as to which one goes to which person."

Ada takes paper first and smirks, passing it back to Chris. "Looks like I got my 'Vette back. I suppose you can share it."

I grin at her, stating, "I won't crash it, I promise."  
"Yeah, I still don't trust you. I'll have to make sure somebody goes with you every time you take it out."

I shake my head and Chris says that the security guards will pass out the keys. Indeed she does, though she doesn't look very happy. Then again, I suppose I wouldn't be either. There are some nice cars out here and I would definitely want at least one.

Ada follows Barry to the condominium, looking out over the beautiful landscape. I see the ocean and surfers riding the waves. I see boats and people with dogs and I see sand castles.

"How much would you be willing to bet that we'll be at that beach by the afternoon?" I ask.

"I'm not betting with you because you'll cheat," she warns.

"Fine, be like that…" I sigh. Ada rolls her eyes and follows Barry up a winding road.

"You know, if you watch, I'll bet you can find some mongooses," Ada remarks, pointing to the thick bush that surrounds the road. "And you're likely to see them near the cats that will most likely be near the condo."

"How do you know that?"

"I learned about the mongooses in school and the cats because there are always cats near houses, especially in islands."  
We pull through a gate where a security guard waves at us in a friendly manner and we see the nice condos.

As we park and everybody climbs out, Barry asks, "So who else never thought we'd be doing this?"

Just about everybody raises their hands. Carlos and John don't and they just shrug at us.

"I kinda planned on not hunting Umbrella down, until somebody called me in," Carlos states. Jill just shrugs.

"So, how do we know which room to go to?" John asks.

"They have our last name on the door. She said they are all connected too," Barry says, walking off.

Ada finds ours quickly, since the President apparently decided that we were going to share everything. Jill stops in front of the door.

"It's creepy that they found all of our clothes and stuff," she mumbles and after we nod she walks away.

"How much you want to bet that Ashley put Jill and Chris in the same room?" Ada suddenly asks.

"So much for not betting," I laugh. She just shrugs and turns her attention back to the room.

"Hey guys," Rebecca suddenly calls, sticking her head into the room. "We're going to the beach, so hurry and find some beach clothes!"

I look at Ada in triumph and she just laughs. I will definitely enjoy this place.


	21. They're in Love

Hero

A/N: Last chapter guys. I would like to thank everybody for reading the story and sticking with it. I know this chapter is really just a bunch of romance but I think the RE characters deserve a little break. (Also, I was thinking of doing one last chapter, like an epilogue, in the third person. Tell me if you would like that.)

The beach would've been peaceful, had Carlos not decided to piss Jill off. Ten minutes after we'd arrived at the busy lagoon, Carlos had pushed Jill into the water and hadn't let her out. Rebecca said it had something to do with the fact that she insulted him earlier.

"You think she'll kill him?" Ada asks as we watch Jill tackle Carlos. They land with a plop in the wet sand.

"Maybe. One less person to deal with," I admit. Ada smiles at me.

"Would you two mind helping us separate those two?" Billy asks, walking over to us. I sigh and stand, offering Ada a hand up as well.

"Wow, you guys are almost wearing the same clothes," Billy points out as we walked over to Jill and Carlos. We're both dressed in black T-shirts and shorts. Pretty close, I suppose.

"Yeah, we didn't do that on purpose," Ada states. Billy smirks and we arrive at the feud.

"Run Carlos! If you don't run, she'll rip your throat out with her claws!" Claire shouts.

"How sweet," Ada says, until somebody shouts at us.

"Oh God, look at what you've done," Chris grumbles to Carlos and Jill. But when we turn around, we see two blondes and Hunnigan walking over to us.

"Ashley, Hunnigan, girl I don't know," Chris says, waving kindly. The girl gives him a look.

She has steel-blue eyes and lemon-blonde hair that's done in a loose and messy ponytail. She's dressed in blue shorts and a blue T-shirt, as well. She's familiar, extremely familiar.

"Hi guys! Look, my dad decided that Hunnigan needed a vacation and that I could go with her, as long as I stayed near her. Then, right as we were about to leave, this girl appeared at the White House. She said that Spencer sent her and that all she would have to tell us is that she knows you, Leon," Ashley explains.

I look at the girl and I know her, I just can't tell where from.

"Who is she?" John asks, suspicious at once. The girl rolls her eyes at him.

"I don't know. She didn't tell us her name. But my dad said it was okay for her to come along," Ashley groans. She looks longingly towards the ocean.

"Who are you?" John asks, taking a step forward.

"Leave her alone," Ada snaps, stepping forward as well.

I stare at the girl and then I laugh. "Sorry, I couldn't recognize you. It's been six years, though. That's my only excuse."

"Oh, thanks Leon. I dress like this just so you can recognize me and you don't? I see how you are," the girl, Sherry Birkin, laughs back.

She walks over to me and gives me a quick hug, which I return, but I see Claire giving us a confused look. Last time I checked, Sherry and Claire were not on good terms, after the red head abandoned us outside of the lab we'd survived.

"Don't tell me she's your friend," Sherry hisses as she pulls away from me.

"She's not but I didn't get the choice of who to bring along."

She shakes her head, before turning to Ada. "So, do I finally get your name?"

"I suppose so. I'm Ada Wong. It's nice to meet you," Ada replies, smiling.

"Sherry Birkin, likewise," Sherry laughs, shaking Ada's hand.

"You two know each other?" I ask. Everybody has turned to watch the three of us by now, and I see Claire's face turn to shock when Sherry says her name aloud.

"Not really. Not like friends at least. But she found out that we knew each other and she kept taps on you for me." Sherry pauses, eyes narrowing before she continues. "She also told me that _you _tried to find me, unlike somebody else."

Claire takes a step forward and Ada watches her coldly.

"Sorry I couldn't find you," I apologize.

The girl shrugs, stating, "Honestly, I didn't expect you to. Wesker knew how to hide himself. Even with the government at your side, I doubted you could've ever found me."

"Oh thanks, that makes me feel good about myself," I reply and Sherry shrugs.

"She's right Leon, you wouldn't have found her," Ada states, supporting Sherry.

"Now you're against me too? Thanks kid, you've managed to turn everyone against me." Sherry gives me a look before laughing and moving a bit and standing next to Ada.

"Us girls have to stick together, you know," Sherry replies. Ada laughs. By now, our crowd was down to John and Chris. Claire had disappeared as well.

"Can we trust you?" Chris asks. Sherry gives him a shocked and confused look. "Claire told me you were infected with the G-virus. Are you trustworthy?"

"Are you asking whether your little boyfriend Wesker did something to me, he didn't. He never got the chance. He was always watching you and your team, or dealing with Umbrella problems, or working on some other virus. He probably would've in the next year or so but I'm not an experiment," Sherry snarls. Ada and I rest our hands on her shoulders, trying to calm her down in any way possible.

"That's not what I asked," Chris snaps. "You were infected. Are you still?"

"There's no way to reverse the G-virus," Ada remarks. "She was infected and she always will be. However, unless she's killed or badly hurt, the virus has no reason to mutate. She probably has enhanced abilities but she's not dangerous."

I nod in agreement and I'm incredibly grateful that Ada knows this kind of stuff. I would've lost to Chris and she knows that. As of this moment, I had a bad feeling that Chris wouldn't trust Sherry anyway.

"Why is it that you trust some bastard from Umbrella but not a little girl?" Jill asks, walking over to Ada's side. Sherry steps back standing between Ada and I.

"What? This is completely different, Jill! She's a bio-weapon!" Chris snarls.

"No, she's a teenage girl who got screwed over like the rest of us," Jill retorts. "The only difference is, we were able to escape without a virus and she wasn't."

"I'm guessing Claire didn't tell you _who _infected me, did she?" Sherry asks. Poor kid.

"Who?" Chris asks, staring at the girl.

"My father. He went nuts and called the government, so Umbrella called out a strike team against him. They shot him and left with what they thought were all samples of the G-virus. But my father always kept one on himself and he injected it into his bloodstream. He became a mutated freak that Claire and Leon fought all night long until they finally killed him in a train. But after Claire lost me for about ten minutes, he infected me. How sweet, huh?"

Chris frowns and I see his expression turn from angry to confused. I suppose that story would make anybody feel a little bad for the kid.

"Don't judge me off of Wesker. You can't. He had several human bio-weapons and all of us thought and acted like humans. Wesker was the only one who thought he was a god," she states, her voice soft.

I look over at Ada, remembering what she'd said to Wesker right before we killed him. They were right. He'd thought he was a god.

"Wait," Claire suddenly cries. She walks over to us and Sherry stares at her. "Other human bio-weapons? Was there a boy with red hair there?"

"Yeah, and he got pissed off whenever I told Ada that I don't like you. He was green so it was kind of weird."

Claire's face pales and she looks at Chris. "We have to go find him," she urgently whispers.

"You can't. Spencer was the one who sent me here. He took all of Wesker's stuff. By the way, what happened to him?" Sherry asks, turning to me.

"Ada killed him," I reply. Ada gives me a look but Sherry looks happy.

"He's dead? And you killed him?" she laughs, turning to Ada. For a second, it looks like the truth might come out, but instead Ada just nods her head and receives a hug from the girl. "Thank you," she mumbles against Ada's shoulder. Is she crying? If I could, I would kill that bastard again for whatever he'd done to the kid.

"Wait? Sherry? This kid, what happened to him?" Chris asks.

Sherry breaks the hug and turns to him, rubbing at her eyes. I step around the girl and hug Ada to my side, mumbling a quick thank you. She shakes her head but doesn't force me away.

"I don't know. He didn't exactly point to us and say where we're going," Sherry mumbles. "He seemed to be sending us to friends or family, so if you're his friend he'll probably be sent to you."

"How do you know he doesn't have family?" Claire asks.

"None of us have family," Sherry replies.

"We're your family," Ada promises. Then, "That sounded stupid and cliché."

"Oh well," I reply. The teen laughs at us, before she looks past us.

"Oh, look at those cliffs. Come on, let's check them out," Sherry orders. I sigh and we follow the girl up the cliff. Ada walks closer to the cliff than Sherry or I, balancing right on the edge.

I here shouting down below and I see our friends crowding around another person. Maybe Sherry was right.

"Looks like I was right," Sherry suddenly states, staring down at the others. I look into the water below.

"Did you know that they have to put nets up around the lagoon so sharks can't get in? They used to have feeding frenzies because the people were trapped," Ada states. Sherry turns and looks at her.

"Thank you for the bedtime story, now can you tell us something a bit nicer?" I laugh.

"No, but I can tell you about the small sharks that manage to get through the nets and bite at people's feet. A couple tourists can probably tell you that they're missing toes," Ada replies.

"What is with you?" Sherry laughs.

"I like sharks," Ada offers. I look at her before looking over the water. So different from the Spanish lake and yet all I could imagine was a massive and mutated salamander coming at me.

"You okay Leon?" Sherry asks.

"Thinking about Del Lago?" Ada asks. I look at her in shock and she smiles sadly, admitting, "I knew about that thing and just about everything else. I also knew that the ganados would leave the village if I rang the bell."

"That was you? Thanks." Christ, how many times has she saved my life?

She shrugs and I see Sherry staring at us in confusion. "Come other time. It's a long story." She nods in agreement and looks over the water.

"I'm afraid I'm going to see a huge crocodile come up out of the water," she admits.

"You faced that thing too?" I ask.

"It was right next to me. Claire fought it off. Why, you did?" She looks at me curiously.

"I managed to blow its head off," I admit. "It was after I got shot by…" I cut myself off. Did Sherry know that it was her mother who attacked me?

"Who? Who shot you?" Sherry asks, though her eyes say she already knows. She always was incredibly intelligent.

"Your mom," I mumble.

"She was shooting at me and Leon pushed me out of the way," Ada explains. Sherry smirks at the two of us and I know what's coming.

"How cute! You two are in love!"

I know my face is red and I see Ada turn away from the girl, which I do as well, and Sherry just laughs. Ada looks over at the girl and I know what she's thinking.

"You can swim, right?" I ask.

Sherry gives me a confused look, but Ada has already moved behind her and pushes her over the edge. With a loud splash, Sherry hits the lagoon water and soon sticks her head out, laughing again.  
"I'll remember that!"  
Ada just shrugs in response. I see the girl swim towards the beach and the two of us start down the cliff, Ada balancing on the edge again.

"I'm going to laugh if you slip," I state.

"Just shows how good of a boyfriend you are," she replies. I stop. Did she just…?

"Hurry up, you two!" Sherry shouts.

Ada turns and gives me a look and I follow her again. "You like doing that, don't you?" I ask.

"Of course I do," she replies. "Is it really already the evening?"

I look up, staring at the once blue sky that has now been painted with purples, reds, and oranges. I smirk. "How the time flies when you're not being chased, huh?"

"I suppose," she sighs. I look at her and she grins, "I'm kidding. You're so easy, you know that?"

"Well, I'm sorry, okay?" I respond. She laughs and starts off for the others.

"We asked the security guards to this place if we could start a bonfire and they said sure," Rebecca says, pointing to Chris and Carlos who were fighting over the lighter. "But they can't decide who should start it."

Barry finally reaches over and yanks the lighter out of their hands, which makes his family laugh though Chris and Carlos look hurt. Barry starts the fire and stands back.

Sherry shakes her head and I see a new face in the crowd. The red head Claire was talking about, though I thought his hair was more orange than anything.

"Oh guys, this is Steve Burnside, Claire's friend," David says, waving a hand at the boy.

"Right," I mumble, "friend."

"Shut up," Ada warns.

Sherry looks at us and draws an imaginary heart with her index fingers in front of her. Ada gives her a death look but Sherry just grins. How is it that I haven't seen the girl in six years but this feels right?

"Alright, we have a limited amount of alcohol, so really quick, after we pass out the drinks, a toast," Chris calls. Jill's standing at his side and Rebecca joins Ada and me.

"After you three left, they started talking and I think they're actually doing better than they ever were. Jill's actually smiling with everyone not just a few of us. I think it was something you guys did," she explains.

"More than likely, it's what Ada did. She spoke to Jill more, after all." Ada gives me a warning look but Billy offers us two beers and Sherry a soda. The teen looks like she doesn't mind not drinking beer, unlike Ashley who looks pissed.

"Okay, what should we toast to?" John asks.

Chris frowns being lifting his beer and saying, "To gaining new friends, to Ada killing Wesker, and to finding Sherry and Steve again!"  
Everybody lifts there drinks in agreement, a few of them tapping into each other, before we start drinking. Sherry turns to me.

"Leon, since you're technically my legal guardian, would you buy me a puppy?" she asks, staring at me with sad eyes.

"And a mongoose," Ada suddenly laughs. I laugh too and Sherry just stares at the older woman.

"Fine. But it can't be one of those annoying little things," I warn.

"No. I want a husky, shepherd, or Shar Pei," Sherry replies.

"I still want that mongoose," Ada informs.

"You catch it, we'll keep it. How does that sound?" I offer.

"Fair enough," Ada agrees.

"I swear that if you bring a mongoose home one day I'll go back to D.C.," I laugh.

"Oh, but mongooses are so cute!" I stare at her and she starts laughing. "I'm serious! They are cute."

Did she just say cute? Ada's never said cute…

"Yes, Leon, I did just say cute." I back away from her and Sherry gives us a confused look. Ada explains, "I can read his mind and it scares him." The girl nods her head in understanding.

"Poor guy. Oh well, he'll get used to it," Sherry laughs. "Since you guys are in love and everything."

Everybody turns and looks at us. Ada looks terrified at the sudden attention and Sherry is laughing so hard she actually fell down. Ashley looks at us, before a smile appears. Hunnigan shakes her head and I wonder if it's because she still doesn't like Ada.

"Wow," Carlos finally mumbles. I see David look down. Ada steps behind my shoulder. She's hiding?

"How cute!" Ashley laughs. Didn't she say that when Ada kissed me in the White House? Is that the only two words she knows in this kind of situation?

Sherry has managed to stop laughing long enough to ask, "Why is everyone acting so weird? It was totally obvious and I haven't seen them in six years!"

Jill suddenly laughs, stating, "She's right guys. It was totally obvious." Soon, about half of the crowd is nodding and Ada is at my side again, though her face still has a red tint to it.

Everybody starts to turn back to the fire and I smell cooking food. Sherry steps over to the fire, still laughing but before I can follow suit, Ada grabs my hand and points at the cliff.

"I don't feel like facing them," she offers.

I nod and we walk to the cliff. Standing at the very top, we look out over the ocean, listening to the waves. But I have to ask.

"Are we?" I ask.

"Are we what?"

"Are we in love?" I ask, looking down at her. She looks back, smiling pleasantly, which is a sight I can't get enough of.

"I think we are. Do you love me?" she asks.

I smirk and I state, "I love you."

"Good. Because I love you too."  
A few seconds of silence before a voice calls out, "Mind if I join you?" It's Sherry.

"We don't want you here," I reply.

"You don't have a choice," another voice calls out. It's Jill and I know Chris is with her.

"Fine," I sigh.

The three of them stand next to us and Jill leans against Chris, who wraps his arm around her waist. Sherry steps between us and whispers, "I hope you guys love me too, or I might just push you into the ocean."

I laugh and so does Ada. "I suppose I do, if I have to…" I offer.

The teen rolls her eyes and wraps her arms around our shoulders. She's silent and I hear Chris and Jill mumbling to each other. Then Sherry laughs and whispers, "Just so you know, when you two get married, I expect to be a bridesmaid. Or more likely, I expect to be the Maid of Honor."

Silence again, even though I find myself thinking that she could pull it off and that Jill and Chris could be there too, when Ada says something that makes me smile.

"I think that would work perfectly. As long as the colors are red and blue, of course."

I grin at her and then I see something out of the corner of my eye. Chris, on one knee and Jill looking like she's going to cry. Sherry smiles widely and I see Ada smile at Jill, who smiles back. Jill nods to Chris and he stands up. They hug and I see that Jill is crying.

"See, that's what you guys need to do. Just get it over with," Sherry offers. Jill and Chris nod. But I'm frozen.

Ada turns to me and before I can do anything, she has her arm around my neck and whispers, "Would you marry me, Agent Kennedy?"

I want to laugh at the fact that Ada Wong is asking me to marry her, to which I whisper back, "Of course."

She pulls away from me and with a gentle smile says, "Good because I wouldn't have taken no for an answer."

Sherry suddenly grins and asks, "Could we have a double wedding?"

Jill looks at Chris, who looks at me and says, "That sounds like a great idea."

We're all smiling but I pull Ada to my chest and I warn, "You may have proposed but I'm not taking your last name."

"I didn't plan on you doing so. I like the sound of Ada Kennedy. And it's not like I haven't thought it over through the last six years."

All I can do is smile and hug her as I listen to Jill shout to everybody that she and Chris and Ada and I are getting married.


	22. The End

Hero

A/N: Yeah, I don't like the ending… Anyway, this really is the last chapter, though I'm already starting a new story. I hope you enjoy this chapter more than I do…

"Blue, we have too much blue," Sherry growls as she paces the small room, her knee-length blue dress swirling around her legs.. Ada and Jill lift their heads and stare at the young girl. "You, Leon, me, David, _and _John are all wearing blue," she explains, staring at Jill.

Ada shrugs, stating, "At least you're not the _only _one dressed in red."

"But red is your color! Why can't I have a special color?" Sherry cries, though both of the women can tell it's a fake act. "I'm just saying. Way too much blue… Though Carlos stands out like a sore thumb."

Jill nods in agreement and Ada looks between the two in confusion. "Carlos decided to wear tan," Jill explains. "He said he wanted to be ready for combat and that blue, black, or red just didn't blend in well. I think… Or maybe that's what Chris said he said… Or something… Or-"

"Shut up! God," Sherry laughs, staring at Jill. "Nervous?"

Jill nods, admitting, "I never expected to get married after the Raccoon incident."

"Why would you be nervous? I mean, come on, it's not like you're signing your life away to some guy you met that's going to get fat and lazy," Sherry states, turning away.

Jill throws a tube of lipstick at the girl in response. Sherry catches it and waves it at Jill in threat, when the door opens and Rebecca walks in.

"How's it going?" Rebecca asks, dressed in a light green dress that falls to her ankles. "You two nervous?"

"Who agreed to get married? I don't remember ever saying yes," Jill whimpers, clutching a gun to her chest.

"Who gave you that?" Ada asks. "They took mine."

Sherry bursts out laughing and Rebecca just grins but Jill leans back, groaning. The chair tips backwards threateningly.

"You can't get cold feet," Ashley says as she walks through the door, dressed in a _very _revealing white dress. She's applying what appears to be the eighth layer of eye shadow and Sherry just gives her a look.

"So says the little whore in training," Jill snarls under her breath. Ada laughs but shakes her head at her friend. "Look Ashley, you're not the one getting married today, okay? So don't act like you know, okay?"

Ashley gives Jill an angry look before walking away and standing in a corner and applying what appears to be the thirtieth layer or lipstick.

Sherry walks over to Ada and whimpers, "Is it possible to have that much make-up on and not fall over from the weight."

Unfortunately, Ashley heard and stood up straight. Sherry gave her a warning look in response and the older of the two slouches against the wall again.

Ada sighs and looks at herself in the mirror. The woman looking back is very different from the woman Ada typically saw. She was actually happy.

Dressed in a crimson dress that resembled the one she wore in Spain and had light make-up on, unlike Ashley. She and Jill had let their hair stay in its typical style, not trying to do anything special. That just didn't fit the two of them, after all. Or maybe it was because the fact that if they did their hair special the guys would have to and Chris would most likely have to slick his hair back. Nobody wanted a dark haired Wesker walking about in a room full of trained cops, soldiers, and agents. Especially not Sherry and Steve.

"Hey Jill, mind if I speak to Ada alone for a second?" Sherry asks.

Jill nods and she leaves, followed by Rebecca and Ashley. Sherry watches them go into the room next door, where they were taking pictures of Hunnigan and Claire and she turns back to Ada.

"You need someone to give you away," the teen states, sitting in Jill's seat. Ada glances at her. "Or would you rather not? I mean, come on, even Jill has somebody… Even if he is dressed up in his prison uniform and is in handcuffs…"

Ada turns and stares at the girl, asking, "She got her father out of prison for this?"

"Yeah, apparently the warden owed her a favor and this is it. To me, it looks like she wants to rub it in her dad's face that she's getting married to Mr. Goody-Two-Shoes."

Ada sighs and turns away. She would be the only one to not have any direct male family left. Her grandmother was the only one who came anyway, not like it matters. She and the old woman had been friends until she'd grown up and started killing people for a living.

"I asked somebody if he would do it and he said sure, but you're going to say no. I can tell."

"Who did you ask?" Ada asks, smoothing out her dress.

"Somebody…"

"If you don't tell me, I'll tell Ashley you want her to do your make-up," Ada warns. Sherry stares at her in shock and disgust.

"You truly are evil… And I asked the President?"

Ada stares at the girl in the mirror. The President even came? "Why?"

"I don't know. Other then Barry, who's Chris' Best Man, he's the only man here who can really play a fatherly role. I mean, really now. Who wouldn't want him to give them away? He's the President!"

"I can't ask him to do that!" Ada hisses in response.

"Well, I'm certain Jill would share her father…"

"No, Sherry," Ada snaps. She turns her attention to the door as Jill walks back in. Her face is incredibly pale.

"I don't want to do this…"

--

"You got to loosen up, man," Carlos laughs at Chris. "If you don't, you'll always be afraid. You can't be afraid."

"And you asked her to marry you. You cowering out, not such a great idea," Barry warns.

"Wait, are you saying Jill might back out?" Chris asks. He looks at Barry and John laughs.

"No, I'm just saying that _if _one of you were to back out, it should be Jill," Barry offers.

"Chris, calm down. She won't back out, okay?" Leon asks. He looks at the oldest of the group and Barry just shrugs in return.

"Okay, so she won't back out?" Chris asks.

Leon nods confidently but hears John mumble, "Ada's more likely to back out anyway."

Leon sighs and turns to him, snapping, "Do you just _like _getting your ass kicked by a guy half your size?"

John shuts up, though he's glaring daggers at Leon's back when he turns away.

Steve, who's sitting in a corner away from everybody else, looks uncomfortable. Maybe it was because he was covered in make-up to hide the green tint to his skin. Or maybe it was because he was the newest and didn't really fit in with the older and taller men he was surrounded by. Carlos, being the jackass he can be at times, walks over to the youngest man and sits right next to him.

"You got to lighten up too! We're not going to kill you, though Barry might try to eat you."

"What did you just say?!" Barry asks, walking over to the Hispanic man. Carlos jumps up and checks an invisible watch.

"I think it's time for pictures, later!"

He leaves the room so quickly, even David, who looked like he was asleep, glances up.

"Why did I ask her to marry me?" Chris groans, hiding his face in his hands.

"Why did they make you wear green again?" John laughs.

"It's his color," Barry snaps. "We were told to wear our color, unlike you two."

Steve looks up in confusion, staring at his and Barry's suits, which were the typical black. Barry shrugs, stating, "We didn't have any special colors…" Steve blinks and lowers his head again.  
"You need to stop," Leon suddenly snaps. Chris shakes his head, rubbing his eyes. "Nervous or not, you need to stop."

Chris stared at him, eyes red since he'd been rubbing his eyes since the beginning of Barry's explanation on colors. "Why aren't you nervous?"

"What makes you think I'm not?! I'm just not showing it…" Leon admits.

"And he has a reason to be nervous," John snickers, mouthing STDs to David. Leon grabs a book that sits next to Chris and hurls it at John's head. It smacks him with a thud and falls to the ground. John stares at him.

"I thought that this bullshit of yours stopped. Just shut up, okay?" Leon snarls. Chris then saw what he meant. Leon was being violent, though honestly, the older man didn't mind. John was pretty annoying at times.

"Um, you know, if you're nervous, you could try pacing," Steve offers, speaking for the first time since being separated from Claire.

"Kid, if I did that, I would make a hole in the floor," Chris groans. "Thanks though…"

"Did you just call him kid?" Barry asks.

"I would call all of them kid but Leon would probably kill me and I don't want Carlos to cry," Chris offers, earning a few laughs from the others.

Carlos walks back into the room and hands Chris a note. "The cake died," Carlos whimpers as he walks past Chris.

"What?!" Chris asks, turning.

"Yeah, it suddenly fell over and nobody knows why."

"Did you see it happen?" Barry asks, eyes narrowed.

"Hey man! I have some respect for them! I didn't do it! And no, I found out through that note… No cake…"

Chris hands Leon the note, which repeats what Carlos had basically said, about the cake falling over at least.

"Wha…. Is anything else-"

Leon was about to shut Chris up when he heard a loud crashing noise followed by laughing. Leon looks over at Chris and states, "Never ask if anything else is going to go wrong…"

Steve sticks his head out the door and mumbles, "I think somebody killed the camera man."

"No, that was Ashley!" Sherry laughs. "She scared the poor guy away!"

"Shut up!" Ashley shouts.

Steve pulls back in and Chris groans, looking over at Leon. "Let me guess, next somebody's going to come in and tell me Jill doesn't want to marry me?"

The door opens and Carlos lunges forward to stop it but in walks Chris' uncle. He looks a lot like Chris, just older and he holds himself with pride.

"Heard about the cake," he laughs. "Kinda funny. They think it was some small animal."  
"Mongoose," Leon mumbles. Chris looks at him in confusion and he shrugs.

--

"What do you mean?" Ada snaps, standing next to Jill. The other woman looks terrified. She glances outside and sees the demolished camera that had made her and Jill jump and Jill points her gun through the doorway.

"I can't… I'm getting cold feet or something…" Jill mumbles, while sniffling. "I just can't… Not in front of all these people…"

"It was your decision to bring all of these people!" Ada reminds. "Look Jill, I'm not going out there alone but I am getting married today. So either, you willingly go out there and marry Chris, or I force you to…"

Jill stares at Ada in silence, before she sighs and nods. "Fine… Fine. Okay. I just need to calm down, right?"

"Right."

Silence. Then, "But everything's going wrong! An animal knocked our cake down and our camera man destroyed his camera! Where does that happen?!"

"Hawaii."

More silence. Then, "Still!"

Ada sighs, grabbing the brunette's arm and yanking her over to the seats. She forces her to sit down.

"Look Jill, I'm not going to start a huge conversation on why or why not to get married today. It's happening, okay?"

"I… You'll kill me if you don't get married today, won't you?"

"More than likely. You had Chris these last six years but I didn't have Leon. Remember that. At least you know the small things about Chris. I barely know what type of music Leon listens to."

"What type does he listen to?"

"Depends on his mood. But that's beside the point, Jill. You know Chris and yet you get cold feet? Don't listen to the stories that marriage changes who you are. It doesn't. You think I'm going to be some sweet little old lady? No. Any kid comes on my property and I'll just shoot them."

Jill laughs, relaxing slightly. "Honestly, I was afraid of my father…"

"Why? Rub it in his face that you're getting married," Ada laughs.

Jill nods and Sherry suddenly falls through the door. She coughs, "They're starting without us!"

"How can you start a wedding without the brides?!" Rebecca cries outside.

"I don't know! But they dot the grooms and everything and I'm so lost!" Sounded like Carlos.

Ada stands and Jill follows suit. They look at one another and Jill sees apprehension in the other woman's eyes. Were they really about to get married?

--

"Why are they starting without Ada and Jill?" David asks, standing next to John.

"God knows!" John laughs bitterly.

Leon and Chris look over at him, staring icily at him, when somebody walks over to them.  
"They ain't comin' yet," Bruce McGivern, a member of Stratcom, mumbles. Chris stares at him.

"Yeah, they said they need a few more minutes or something like that. I think Jill was panicking," Ark Thompson, one of Leon's old friends, states as he walks up.

Leon sighs, folding his arms over his chest. He hated the clothes he was wearing. Chris rubs the back of his neck, frowning widely.

"At least you're not the only one," Barry offers.

"Why isn't Ada nervous?" John asks, staring at Leon.

"She's like Leon. She's hiding it," Carlos offers.

"Hiding it?" John snorts. Leon stares at him dangerously. Everybody watches curiously.  
"Are you two, seriously going to fight?" Sherry asks, walking over to them.

"I want to kill him," Leon mumbles and Chris nods.

"Look, somebody decided to start this thing early and Jill's not ready. We have to stall!"

"Stall?" Chris whimpers.

"Are you afraid too? Does somebody need to get slapped?! Seriously though, we have to wait a few minutes," Sherry snaps.

"We have to wait a few minutes everyone! Jill's not ready yet!" John shouts. Sherry takes Leon's glory by walking over to John and slapping him. Several people gasp in the audience, though a few chuckle.

"He's right, I just had to do that," Sherry tells the guests. Leon shrugs.

--

"Okay," Jill breathes.

"Ready?" Claire asks.

"No."

Everybody stares at her. She frowns and Ada pushes her over to her father. The President smiles faintly and Sherry walks back to them.

"Of course," the girl sighs. "I would tell everybody to wait a few minutes and you guys would be ready right after I said that."

Ada takes the President's arm and he smiles at her, stating, "You're being brave. I know many agents who don't like the idea of settling down."

"Yeah, well I know my husband can defend himself," Ada laughs.

Jill takes her father's arm and Sherry snaps a picture with her digital camera. She smiles and then nods at Ashley who walks over to the entrance to the main room. The Bridal March starts and somebody shouts for everybody to shut up. Sherry laughs, before nodding to Lily, a girl who'd survived with Ark. She nods and throws flowers in front of them.

--

Leon mumbles for Chris to keep his mouth closed as Jill and Ada are led towards them on Dick Valentine's and President Graham's arms after the flower girl and the bridesmaids. Chris is practically shaking and Leon hisses, "Calm down."

"I can't," Chris responds. He's clenching his jaw and when Jill finally stands in front of him, he stops. Chris looks down at her and smiles at the way the dark blue looks on her, the dress falling to her ankles. She smiles up at him, brushing her hair out of her face as she admires his forest green tuxedo.

The minister starts speaking and Ada smiles at Leon, who smiles back. He notices the similarities between this dress and the one from Spain. The only major difference is the butterflies are missing. Ada examines the dark blue, almost black, tuxedo Leon is wearing.

Sherry grins at them both while Chris silently inhales and exhales.

As the minister is finishing, Ada's eyes trail to the audience, spotting her grandmother sitting in the very back. Poor Leon didn't have any of his family, since they decided that he wasn't important enough. And Jill's only family was her thieving father.

The minister was finishing up, when somebody sneezes and Jill looks like she's about to burst into tears. She was starting to get nervous again.

"Alright, who did it?" Sherry hisses. Ashley points at John, who stares at the teen. "He thinks I won't kick his ass," Sherry laughs. She draws a line over her throat at John, who pales.

The minister finishes and Lott, Lily's brother, hands the four of them their rings. After the rings are on, the minister states, "You may now kiss the bride."

Chris practically picks Jill up while kissing her and Leon just hugs Ada to him while he kisses her. The room bursts into happy cheering and applause, followed by their friends hugging the newlyweds and patting them on the back.

"Okay, let's never do this again," Jill sighs, following Chris out to the limo they rented. It would take them to the nearby building, where they would finish the wedding off with dancing and food.

"No way, we have to get remarried," Chris laughs as they get in the limo.

"Oh yes," Jill laughs, though she punches Chris in the arm.

--

Jill coughs and laughs at the same time, trying not to breath in champagne. Leon laughs and Ada just shakes her head.

"Whoever taught you how to drink champagne, needs to be slapped," Jill laughs to Chris.

"I'm sorry you moved." He laughing too, pulling his arm away from Jill. "And you two did it so elegantly!"

Leon shrugs, right arm around Ada's shoulder, holding his champagne in his left hand. "We practiced," he offers, making Sherry cough her champagne out. Chris and Jill break into violent laughter.

"God, what did you do to her?!" Leon asks Ada, who's laughing too. "She used to have such an innocent mind and now she's thinking things she shouldn't be thinking."

"Okay, did it elegantly and practice are too much," Sherry states in defense of herself.

"What are you talking about? They drank the champagne elegantly and they practiced the whole entwined arms thing," Chris laughs.

Sherry rolls her eyes and snaps, "On the dance floor, you four!"

"What song are we dancing to?" Chris asks.

"No idea," Leon admits.

They stood on the dance floor, hugging their partner, while Sherry chooses a song and starts it up. Ada cocks her head and stares at the girl as the song starts up.

"Oh, I recognize it," Jill says. "It's 'I Don't Want to Miss a Thing' by Aerosmith."

Ada nods in understanding as the song starts up and the four of them dance silently. Soon others are dancing with them to the song that spills from the speakers. Sherry grins and joins Leon and Ada.

"I have a personal request for you two," she states. "I want you to sit down for the next couple songs. I have one I want to play for you later."

Ada shrugs and she and Leon sit down at the newlywed's table. Ada sees her grandmother watching Leon as he pours them champagne. Her grandmother nods and walks away and Ada guesses that would have to do.

After sitting and talking and enjoying one another's company, the lights dim and only Chris and Jill stay on the dance floor. Sherry motions for Leon and Ada to join them and she starts up another song.

"Oh, this is perfect," Ada whispers as she lays her face on Leon's chest. 'Hero' by Nickelback plays for the couple.

"I agree," Jill mumbles, smiling.

Leon and Chris nod simultaneously. The four of them sway, instead of dance, to the music, eyes half closed.

Ada looks up at Leon and whispers, "Thank you, for being my hero."

He smiles back, pressing his forehead to hers. They close their eyes and he mumbles, "Thank _you_ for being _my _hero."

Ada just smiles and Chris and Jill step closer to them. They stand together and the four of them sway together, staying like that even as the song faded away.

The End


End file.
